Neymar has been criticised as being “unprofessional” after attending the European Poker Tour in Paris and going to McDonald's following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich.
The home side were outplayed for the majority of the tie at the Parc des Princes as Kingsley Coman’s strike early in the second half settled the first leg of the last-16 tie. It was a result that puts Christophe Galtier’s side as underdogs ahead of next month’s second leg – with Neymar leading an apology to the club’s ultras at the end of Tuesday’s game.
It was a result that continues an alarming slide of form for the Ligue 1 leaders. Since the turn of the year, they have lost five matches across all competitions, including three defeats in the space of a week, and risk ending the season with another European failure.
The attention and focus on the club’s underperforming stars has been ramped up amid concerns that performance levels have notably dipped following on from the World Cup. The club’s season is in danger of unravelling amid their slump in form.
Neymar was largely anonymous in Tuesday’s match. The Brazilian was handed a ‘3/10’ by L’Equipe – the joint lowest rating of any player. The French media outlet explained that he “offered solutions throughout the game between the lines, but his movements with the ball were not effective. The Germans did not spare his life. He lost possession a lot.”
Le Parisien were slightly more generous, ranking him as 4/10, but lamenting that he “gave away turnovers continuously” during the match. Yet Neymar’s actions the following day have compounded the sense that he was not fully focused.
Have Your Say! What do you make of Neymar’s off-field activities? Tell us what you think here.
A report from French radio station RMC Sport, via 10 Sport, has outlined how Neymar attended the European Poker Tour in Paris before heading out for a McDonald's on Wednesday night. He is said to have spent £8,895 to enter the poker game before heading out to the fast-food chain.
Neymar's friend uploaded a photo onto Instagram of his trip to McDonald’s and captioned the picture, "Levando ele pra fazer coisas normais," which translates into English as, "Taking him to do normal things." Jonatan Marques Andrades Navarro and Carlos Henrique were also tagged in the photograph, which was uploaded on Wednesday night – coinciding with the report.
One fan wrote under the picture, referencing Neymar’s actions: “There are some who still manage to defend him. It's so unprofessional. He just doesn't give a damn about football, he lives to enjoy but it's outrageous given what salary he gets.”
Neymar is the most expensive footballer of all time after PSG signed the superstar from Barcelona in a stunning £200million move in 2017. The 31-year-old has netted 117 goals in 172 appearances for the French club but there has been a lingering sense that he has failed to hit the huge expectations that many predicted.
