The Prince of Brazilian football Neymar Junior, recently offered insights into his experiences with the Paris Saint-Germain team in a podcast hosted by Romário, a celebrated Brazilian World Cup winner.
During the discussion, he reflected on the significant influence that Lionel Messi's arrival at the club in August 2021 had on the team's dynamics, especially around Kylian Mbappe.
Neymar provides insights about Mbappe's jealousy
Neymar shared insights about his former teammate Kylian Mbappé's reaction to Lionel Messi joining the team. He noted that Mbappé may have experienced some feelings of jealousy, as he was adjusting to the idea of sharing the spotlight. This transition possibly led to changes in Mbappé's behaviour and dynamics within the team.
Neymar asserted that he had a strong partnership with Mbappé from the start, dubbing him the "golden boy" and highlighting his immense potential to become one of the greatest players in the game.
“Mbappé was not annoying! When Messi came, I think he became a little jealous. I had my things with him, we had a little fight. He was a boy that in the beginning was key, I used to call him ‘Golden Boy’, I was spoke to him, played around with him, told him he’d be one of the best, I always help, always had conversations with him”. Neymar said.
“When Leo arrived, he became a little jealous. He didn’t want to share me with anyone! [laughs] That’s how the fights started, the change in behaviour”. He asserted.
He pointed out that while he refrained from naming specific individuals, the presence of big egos within the team impacted their ability to perform in critical matches.
The trio had high hopes of leading PSG to their first UEFA Champions League victory. While they achieved some success together, winning three trophies over two seasons, the ultimate goal remained elusive. Neymar reflected on the experience, suggesting that the individual ambitions of each superstar may have played a role in preventing them from winning UCL.
Lionel Messi left the club in the summer of 2023 to join Inter Miami. A month later, Neymar followed suit, making his move to the Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal. Kylian Mbappe, however, remained for another year and officially signed with Real Madrid last summer as a free agent.
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