Brazil striker Neymar said his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe He became “a little jealous” after the star Lionel Messi He joined the French club in August 2021 on a free transfer.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by World Cup winner Romario on Thursday, the 32-year-old Brazilian, who endured an injury-plagued spell with Saudi club Al Hilal, added that big egos affected PSG’s performances in big matches.
Neymar made his comments after Romario asked if Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid this season, was “annoying”.
Neymar said: “No, not like that. I have my things with him. We quarreled a little, but he was essential for us when he arrived. I used to call him the golden boy.” “I always played with him and said he would be one of the best. I always helped him, talked to him, he came to my house, we had dinner together.
“We had good years of partnership, but after Messi came he was a bit jealous. He didn’t want to separate me from anyone. Then there were some quarrels, and a change in behavior.”
Mbappe joined Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in 2017, the same year Neymar moved from Barcelona to the French club in one of the biggest transfers in football history.
Both were signed while the club was bidding for its first Champions League title, which it has yet to win. Neymar said the team often suffered because of big egos, but he did not name anyone.
“It’s good to have an ego, but you have to know that you’re not playing alone,” Neymar said. “There must be another man beside you. [Big] Vanity was almost everywhere, and this couldn’t work. “If no one runs and no one helps, it is impossible to win anything.”
Neymar did not rule out returning to Brazil after his contract in Saudi Arabia expires in the middle of this year. ESPN sources also said that three MLS teams, including Chicago Fire FC, are interested in signing him in the North American league.
Later on Thursday, his manager at Al Hilal, Jorge Jesus, said Neymar was free to decide his own future after confirming that he would not be registered for the second half of the Saudi Professional League season, partly due to his injury problems since then. Join the team.
“The only thing I know is that Neymar is not registered at the moment,” Jesus said after Al-Hilal’s victory over last-placed Al-Fateh, 9-0. He added: “I do not know about the interests of other clubs, this is beyond my control.
He added: “The Saudi League is one of the best leagues in the world. Neymar is no longer able to perform at the level we are accustomed to because things have become difficult for him, unfortunately.”
He added: “I do not know what will happen to Neymar’s future. He is still under contract with Al Hilal, and it is up to him to decide what comes next. In the end, this decision will be his and the team’s management.” “
There was no reaction from Mbappe or Messi to Neymar’s comments.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
