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PSG fans ‘crossed the line’ in ‘sad’ relationship… as striker says Messi was also mistreated


Former Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar says he feels “resentment” towards “the people who run the club and some fans” over his six years with the French giants, in a move that remains the most expensive transfer in history .

The 32-year-old, who scored 118 goals and 70 assists in 173 games before joining Saudi club Al-Hilal for around £71.2 million in August 2023, was attacked by a group of PSG fans in his home in April 2023, having made his last appearance for the club in February before missing 15 games following ankle surgery.

“The first year was magnificent. I was very well received by the French people and the fans,” said Neymar. RMCtalking about his £200m transfer from Barcelona in August 2017.

“The last two or three years have not been the same. “Wasn’t it incredible the way they treated me, (and) the same was for Lionel Messi.”

Neymar: ‘Injustice’ at PSG

Messi, Barça’s all-time leading scorer, followed Neymar to PSG in August 2021 following his shock departure from his boyhood club because they could not meet LaLiga’s financial rules to retain him.

The move united the pair with 2018 World Cup winner and PSG’s all-time leading scorer Kylian Mbappé, giving the French giants the most feared attacking trio in world football.

Neymar and Mbappé helped PSG reach the Champions League final in 2019/20, but that remains the only time the 12-time French champions have made it past the semi-finals and their round of 16 exits during Messi’s two seasons. at the club they were widely seen as insufficient achievements.

“For me there was injustice, because I always gave everything on the field,” said Neymar, who missed 136 games for PSG and Brazil during his time in Ligue 1.

“I don’t have any resentment, but I do have a little sadness about the way I was treated by the fans, especially when they came to my house, when they wanted to invade my house, insult me ​​or hit me.

“To me, they crossed the line. Our relationship was no longer respectful, while I always respected them… It was really a complicated situation.”

‘Big’ and ‘sad’ moments

“I was saddened by how they treated me in the end, but it happened,” Neymar added. “I respect PSG as a club and I will always support them (and hope they) get the best results.

“I don’t have any resentment towards the club, I just have a bit of resentment towards the people who run the club and some of the fans. But that’s a thing of the past.

“It is the club where I spent the most time in my career, six years. I had some great moments, but also some sad moments. And my relationship with the fans, unfortunately, is part of the sad moments.

“But on a sporting level, it was the best football I have ever played. So I’m happy and I have a clear conscience about it… football-wise, I think I was at the top of my career.”

Neymar, Messi and Mbappé

The 2020/21 season was the only campaign in which PSG failed to win the French title with Neymar involved. Messi, a nine-time Ballon d’Or winner, joined Inter Miami in July 2023, while Mbappé joined Real Madrid after the 25-year-old’s contract expired at the end of last season.

“(Parts of my time there were) bad, because I was injured for a long time and many times… I didn’t finish a season,” Neymar reflected. “It was very sad for me, because I often had very serious injuries that could last three, four or six months.

“It bothered me a lot, but in football terms, in sporting terms, he was the best Neymar they had in my entire career.

“I will not forget the very good moments I had, especially the Champions League final. They were truly incredible moments. We could have won (in the 1-0 defeat against Bayern Munich), but the final is decided in details.

“It was a really great year, when I look back on it. I will never forget those moments: they are engraved in my heart.

“Playing in Ligue 1 was a really good experience, the fans were great with me. I wrote my story in Ligue 1, it was good for my career. “I’m proud and happy to have been a part of that.”

Neymar wants the return of Brazil

Brazil’s all-time leading scorer now wants to play at the 2026 World Cup despite a more than 13-month injury absence from international action.

Neymar broke Pelé’s record by scoring 78 of his 79 international goals during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in September 2023, but tore his ACL against Uruguay the following month.

In the short term, his comeback plans have been thwarted by an injury he suffered in a brief second appearance following his return to Al-Hilal.

Neymar was introduced as a substitute in the second half of the Saudi Pro League team’s 3-0 victory over Iranian side Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Elite last month, but lasted less than 30 minutes before withdraw.

Although Neymar described the injury as “hopefully not too much”, he still has to make seven more appearances for the club who paid a fee of more than £71m for him.

“I’m really very happy here,” he said of the Riyadh club. “All the players who want to come here are surprised by the level or even by some very positive aspects of this championship.

“Absolutely, yes, yes, I will return (to Brazil). I’m getting ready and I’m even excited. They should have called me up for (qualification for the World Cup in November), but after speaking with the coach (Dorival Junior), he decided not to.

“Next time I will surely be with my colleagues; In any case, I am preparing for it. There is nothing better than representing your country.

“We hope the team improves. It is evolving. We must not forget that the team is young, we have potential and we will have to exploit it as quickly as possible to become a great team.”

Al Hilal ‘priority’ for Neymar

Brazil’s next World Cup qualifiers are in March and Dorival Junior has no shortage of attacking options, with the likes of Real Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Barcelona’s Endrick and Raphinha to call on.

There has been speculation in Saudi Arabia that Al-Hilal will not re-register Neymar for the second half of their top-flight season.

The reigning champions and current title contenders did not include him in their squad for the first half of the campaign due to his injury, but he is allowed to play in international competitions.

“First of all, I want to have a good season with Al-Hilal,” said Neymar. “I come from a very serious injury. I still have a little time to get back to my level and show why I’m here.

“My priority is there: recover well, develop physically and simply get back to playing. I would like to play in the 2025 Club World Cup (in the USA in June and July) with Al-Hilal, because it is very important for the Club.

“The World Cup is the goal of all the players. I have already played three World Cups; I want to make a room. I have to be focused on that, prepare well here and have that medium-term goal after getting back to fitness here, at my club.

“I am now prepared to return to the field quickly this season with my club and the Selecao.”

Al-Hilal will be the next opponent in the King’s Cup quarter-finals against Al-Ittihad at the Kingdom Arena on January 7 (18:30 GMT).





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