‘Neymar could have been Djokovic but became Kyrgios’
Robin Bairner
- 16 Aug 2023 11:02 BST
- 3 min read
Neymar has completed a €90 million transfer to Al-Hilal from PSG but has been branded the “biggest disappointment” in the history of football following the completion of the deal.
The 31-year-old had been at PSG for six years after making a world-record €222m move from Barcelona, but he never reached the heights expected of him in Paris, where he had hoped to win the Ballon d’Or and lead the Ligue 1 side to Champions League glory.
Having missed both targets, Neymar has left for the big-spending Saudi Pro League, where he has signed a two-year contract.
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He has been slammed for his attitude towards the game, with Reuters journalist Fernando Kallas telling Relevo that the 31-year-old has frittered away his best years.
“For me, Neymar is the biggest disappointment in the history of football, not only Brazilian, but worldwide,” Kallas claims.
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“He is the biggest wasted talent in the history of football. For many, if we compare him with tennis, he was a kind of Novak Djokovic between Rafa Nadal, who would be Cristiano Ronaldo, and Roger Federer, who would be Lionel Messi.
“The problem is that in the end Neymar has become Nick Kyrgios. He had the potential to win great things, but in the end, he has remained an anecdote.”
Neymar has never matured
This view is echoed by freelance journalist Marcus Alves, who explains: “The most frustrating thing about Neymar is not the lack of sporting achievements in his career, but the fact that he is 31 years old and has never given the impression of having matured and taken control of his steps.
“He has always been subservient to the wishes of his father, as the Netflix series that shows the relationship between the two portrays very well.
“He is, without a doubt, the most talented player to emerge in Brazil in the last two decades, but, either due to injuries, his life off the pitch or because of his decisions - his transfer to PSG - his performance was much lower than expected.”
Neymar managed to play just 54.57% of games at PSG. Al-Hilal will be hoping he is available a good deal more regularly.
