Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 5:36 PM• Last update: 17:39

Mauricio Pochettino does not believe that Neymar will hang up all his football boots next year. The 29-year-old Paris Saint-Germain attacker said in a DAZN documentary released on Sunday that the pressures of football have taken its toll, both physically and mentally, and that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will most likely be his last tournament. His trainer at PSG has his reservations about this.

According to Pochettino, Neymar’s words should be placed in a broader perspective. “He’s a genuine boy and he expresses his feelings quickly,” Pochettino said at the press conference ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1 game against SCO Angers on Friday night. “His mental strength, in a life that has been in the spotlight for years, is amazing. He has endured a lot from an early age. Sometimes things get taken out of context. Neymar loves football and I’m sure he will play for years to come. I do not doubt that.”

Neymar confessed in the documentary Neymar & The Line Of Kings by DAZN that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar may well be his last tournament. “I see it as my last because I don’t know if I have the strength of mind to deal with football,” said the attacker. The statements also drew criticism from the Brazilian, including former PSG player Jeremy Rothen, who found it inappropriate towards his French employer. “If you’re a player of this category, if you’ve been the face of the club for more than four years, if you’ve extended your contract for another five years and you’ve decided to finish your career at PSG, you can do that. don’t say,” he said to RMC Sports.

Neymar will not be with PSG on Friday night against Angers, as will Lionel Messi, ngel Di María, Marquinhos, Leon Paredes and Keylor Navas. All are with their country for international obligations. Sergio Ramos is also not an option for Pochettino. The Spanish defender is still waiting for his first minutes for the French superpower. Still, the Argentine coach does not want to use the absence of the above seven as an excuse. “Conditions are as they are. We can’t complain and just have to try to win in the best possible conditions.”