“I won’t stop there, what’s the problem?”

Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 07:42• Yanick Vos • Last update: 07:43

Neymar has taken a hard line after continued criticism of his lifestyle. The Brazilian from Paris Saint-Germain is often accused in the French media that he regularly goes out, does not perform properly and is injured more often than desired. Neymar states that his night out has no negative effect on his performance in the PSG shirt.

Neymar has only scored once so far this Ligue 1 season, while delivering three assists. In the Champions League, he was not involved in a single goal this football season. The Brazilian international has been struggling with injuries regularly for years and looking for causes for his meager figures and injury susceptibility, French media point to his lifestyle. Neymar does not want to know about that, he says on the Brazilian YouTube channel Fui Clear???.

“I think it’s a lack of conversation when people say, ‘Oh, Neymar isn’t taking care of himself, Neymar this, Neymar that’. How can I survive at the top for twelve years if I didn’t take care of myself? No one is looking at that. I do take good care of myself. I have a physiotherapist and a personal coach with me almost 24 hours a day to do nothing,” said an irritated Neymar.

His lifestyle has nothing to do with his performance on the pitch, according to Neymar. “I go out when I can. I go out when it’s possible, if I know, for example, that we don’t have to train the next day. I’m not going to stop with that. What’s the problem? Yes, I must be held accountable for what I show on the pitch. But what am I doing out there?”

Neymar was of great value to PSG on Friday night. Just before time, he provided the assist to Ángel Di María’s winning 2-1 against Lille OSC. “It was a tough game,” he said afterwards Prime Video. “We played against a strong team. We fought and scored until the end.” Neymar also wanted to say something about the criticism of his person afterwards: “Criticism is normal, that’s part of it. I’ve been a professional football player for fifteen years now and it doesn’t bother me. I myself am my biggest critic.”