‘Neymar arrives almost drunk to training’
James Shearman
- Updated: 23 Mar 2022 21:43 GMT
- 3 min read
Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League round-of-16 defeat to Real Madrid has paved the way for plenty of criticism of the club's players and staff.
And, superstar forward Neymar has been the centre of attention, given his talismanic status at the club.
The Brazilian was criticised for his performances of late but his professionalism, or lack thereof, provides the biggest cause for concern.
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In fact, Neymar has been accused by journalist Daniel Riolo of barely training with the rest of the team, arriving to the sessions in poor condition.
''Neymar hardly trains anymore, he arrives in a sorry state, almost drunk'' Riolo told RMC Sport.
''That's the way it is, Neymar is in a spirit of revenge against PSG.''
Have a good look at what Pochettino ball did to Neymar. 😭 pic.twitter.com/8SA7pouTiK
— VAR (@Ziyechman) March 20, 2022
Riolo also believes that the PSG faithful want to see the back of the 30-year-old, with the whistling at him in recent games a strong indication of this.
''PSG fans don't give a s**t about Neymar's antics or his Netflix documentary,'' he added.
''We have to sign his check and let him go. He's doing a lot of damage to the club. Let him go, he is ruining PSG.''
PSG in shambles following Champions League defeat
Riolo also claims that the club has gone silent since the embarrassing defeat to Real Madrid, where Karim Benzema's second-half hat-trick knocked PSG out of the competition.
''PSG are no longer a club,'' he added. There is no common thread.
''The coach no longer exists, the president has not said a word.
"After such a disaster, the bolts should have been tightened. But, nothing. Neither from [sporting director] Leonardo nor from [president] Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Nothing. A total defeat.''
It is clear to see that the issues at the club run deeper than Neymar, or any other individual, but since he is the most high-profile culprit, his exit could appease PSG fans this summer.
