TheNewsGuru

Tag: Neymar

  • Neymar out of PSG team after lavish party

    Neymar out of PSG team after lavish party

    Neymar is out of the Paris St-Germain squad for their league match at Nantes on Tuesday with a rib injury.

    The Brazilian, who needed treatment during PSG’s victory against Montpellier on Saturday, celebrated his 28th birthday at a Parisian nightclub 24 hours later.

    Manager Thomas Tuchel said his team selection would not be influenced by the timing of the party.

    “Is it the best way to prepare for a match? No, clearly not,” he said.

    “Is it the worst thing in the world? No,” the German added in his news conference on Monday.

    “I always protect my players, and I really love my team. With this party, I accept that it is a bit difficult to protect the players, but the context is not simply black or white,” he said.

    “It is a shame, because we are giving people the chance to speak badly of us. We need to adapt to the situation, but I am not going to leave a player on the bench or at home because they went out and celebrated.”

    The club confirmed on Monday that tests had shown Neymar suffered the cartilage injury during the first half of Saturday’s Ligue 1 match.

    Neymar was not the only PSG player Tuchel was questioned about – after a touchline spat with Kylian Mbappe in the 5-0 weekend win.

    “There is nothing personal between him and me. These things happen,” Tuchel said about his 21-year-old striker who reacted angrily to being substituted midway through the second half.

    “It was between a player who does not want to come off, and a coach who had his reasons for doing something, and who wanted to give a game to players who deserved it.”

  • PSG boss kicks against Neymar’s lavish birthday party [Photo]

    PSG boss kicks against Neymar’s lavish birthday party [Photo]

    Neymar celebrated his upcoming 28th birthday with a lavish party at Parisian nightclub Yoyo on Sunday.

    Paris St-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel skipped the white-themed party under the Palais de Tokyo, after branding it “a distraction”, with the event coming just two days before their next game.

    It appeared to be a sentiment not shared by the Brazilian’s team-mates and celebrity pals however, with Edinson Cavani, Marco Verratti and Angel di Maria embracing the dress code and injured Lyon winger Memphis Depay sporting a pair of £1,200 boots.

    Serial party host Neymar is well known for his extravagant get-togethers, but it was reported that Neymar would rein in his celebrations this year before his actual birthday on Wednesday.

    He threw a ‘Nuit Rouge’ themed event for his 27th birthday for around 200 guests, while he welcomed in his 26th birthday with a black tie event attended by Lewis Hamilton and the president of Brazil.

    Sunday’s bash came a day after PSG’s bad-tempered 5-0 victory against Montpellier, that was notable for incidents involving a pink-haired Neymar and team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

    Neymar shrugged off an injury scare, taunted the opposition with his signature tricks and raged at the officials.

    Mbappe, 21, reacted angrily to being substituted midway through the second half.

    “These are distractions, and they give the impression we are not serious, not professional,” said Tuchel, in his post-match comments when discussing Neymar’s party.

    But on Tuesday, he denied he had a personal issue with Neymar.

    “It’s my choice not to participate in the party,” Tuchel said. “It’s a choice as a coach; it’s not against Neymar personally.”

    Mbappe appeared to skip the party all together, instead opting to watch the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl after attending an event at Disneyland Paris.

    Maybe he couldn’t find anything white to wear…

    BBC

  • Transfer: Barca preparing fresh move for Neymar

    Transfer: Barca preparing fresh move for Neymar

    La Liga giant Barcelona remain determined to bring Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar back to Camp Nou and will launch a renewed transfer offensive in the summer window.

    The Brazilian was involved in a long-running transfer saga this summer, but PSG eventually refused to budge despite Neymar’s clear desire to return to his former club.

    Nevertheless, he has continued to perform superbly since his return from injury in recent weeks, and, according to sources close to the club, Barca are ready to make him their number one priority again.

    This summer, they also engineered deals for Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann and Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but will be fully focused on Neymar next time around.

    It is understood that Barcelona hope to raise around half the likely transfer fee of €222 million (£190m/$246m) through player sales.

    The figure of €222m was demanded by PSG sporting director Leonardo at the end of last summer, though it remains to be seen whether this number will remain fixed.

    Neymar will be a year older and with a year less on his contract, though much could depend on his form in the Champions League knockout stages.

  • Brazil v Senegal: Neymar’s 100th cap ends in draw

    Brazil v Senegal: Neymar’s 100th cap ends in draw

    Neymar became the seventh man to win 100 caps for Brazil in a friendly draw with Senegal in Singapore.

    The Paris St-Germain forward could not add to his 61 international goals in a frustrating display in front of a sparse crowd.

    Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino put Brazil ahead with a lovely chip from Gabriel Jesus’ clever pass.

    And after Sadio Mane had been fouled, Bristol City striker Famara Diedhiou equalised from the penalty spot.

    Neymar twice went close late on from free-kicks but landed one on the roof of the net and saw a second one well saved by Alfred Gomis.

    Senegal went closest to a winner as Liverpool’s Mane – who played the full 90 minutes at the National Stadium – hit the post from the edge of the area.

  • UCL: Neymar suspended for PSG clash in Turkey

    UCL: Neymar suspended for PSG clash in Turkey

    Paris St-Germain forward Neymar serves the final game of his two-game European ban when his side face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.

    Neymar, 27, was given a three-game suspension for insulting match officials after PSG’s loss to Manchester United in March, but the ban was later reduced to two matches.

    Forward Kylian Mbappe, 20, is available for the Ligue 1 leaders after he played for 30 minutes in their 1-0 win over Bordeaux on Saturday on his return from a thigh injury following a month out.

    Substitute Mbappe made an instant impact as he set up Neymar, who scored the winning goal at the weekend.

    PSG are top of Group A after beating Real Madrid 3-0 in their first match, while Galatasaray, seventh in the Turkish Super Lig, were involved in a goalless draw away at Belgian side Club Bruges in their Champions League opener.

  • Neymar, Barca meet again, this time in court

    Neymar, Barca meet again, this time in court

    Barcelona spent much of the summer trying to bring Neymar back to the club two years after he left to join Paris St Germain, but on Friday the Brazilian will come up against his old club in the courtroom to settle a bitter legal dispute.

    Neymar, 27, was pictured arriving at Barcelona’s El Prat airport on Thursday ahead of his date in court, where he is suing the La Liga champions over an unpaid loyalty bonus of 26 million Euros ($30.69 million).

    Barca, meanwhile, are suing the forward for 8.5 million Euros in damages and demanding he reimburses the club for part of the loyalty bonus they paid him in November 2016.

    They have said that by joining PSG less than a year after penning a contract which tied him to the club until 2021, Neymar failed to comply with its terms.

    Neymar, who scored 105 goals in four seasons with Barca during which he won two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey triumphs and the Champions League, is no stranger to legal troubles.

    In 2016 he was summoned to the High Court in a fraud and corruption investigation over his transfer to Barcelona from boyhood club Santos in 2016.

    The player denied any wrongdoing and although charges were later dropped the case has since been reopened.

    Neymar was accused in June of raping a model in a Paris hotel room, but he said the encounter was consensual and prosecutors dropped the case two months later, citing a lack of evidence.

    Neymar missed PSG’s first five games of this season as he tried to force through a move back to Barcelona. His former club made repeated trips to the French capital to negotiate a deal, but PSG said the Catalans had failed to meet their asking price.

    Neymar has since returned to action for the Ligue 1 champions, scoring in 1-0 wins over Strasbourg and Olympique Lyonnais and playing in Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat by Stade Reims.

  • Neymar Champions League ban reduced

    Neymar Champions League ban reduced

    The Court of Arbitration for Sport has reduced Paris St Germain striker Neymar’s suspension from three to two UEFA games for insulting match officials, CAS said on Tuesday.

    PSG and the Brazilian had appealed against the three-game ban imposed by European governing body UEFA in June, and CAS partially upheld the appeal.

    Neymar labelled the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system “a disgrace” after PSG were eliminated from the Champions League last 16 by Manchester United after the Premier League side were awarded a decisive last-gasp penalty in a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes.

    Neymar will be eligible to play in the Champions League in the third round of matches, when PSG travel to Club Brugge on Oct. 22.

    The 27-year-old made his PSG season debut last Saturday after his failed transfer to Barcelona, scoring the only goal in stoppage time against Racing Strasbourg in Ligue 1.

    He is suspended for PSG’s Champions League start against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

  • Ligue 1: Neymar the saviour as PSG beat Strasbourg 1-0

    Ligue 1: Neymar the saviour as PSG beat Strasbourg 1-0

    Neymar scored a spectacular last-gasp goal for Paris St Germain that was greeted with more cheers than boos in a 1-0 Ligue 1 win over Racing Strasbourg on Saturday.

    It was the Brazilian’s first appearance of the season following a failed transfer to Barcelona.

    The forward found the back of the net with a bicycle kick two minutes into stoppage time, drawing mostly applause but a few boos from the Parc des Princes faithful.

    PSG lead the standings with 12 points from five games ahead of their Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday, for which Neymar will be suspended.

    The result left Strasbourg in 18th place on three points.

    “It was sublime. It’s good for him and good for the team,” team mate Idrissa Gueye said.

    Neymar was booed by part of the crowd in the first half as he put on a decent performance.

    He had angered the PSG fans by saying his best memory as a footballer was PSG’s humiliating 6-1 defeat by Barca at the Camp Nou in the Champions League in 2017.

    But he capped his return with a goal that did not mask PSG’s collective mediocrity.

    New keeper Keylor Navas made a couple of brilliant saves as the visitors threatened on a few occasions while Mauro Icardi was toothless after coming on as a second-half substitute.

    The Argentine striker, however, will be needed against Real on Wednesday in the absence of Neymar and the injured Kylian Mbappe.

    The French international was sorely missed, just like Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani who may come back for the Real clash.

    Strasbourg had the first clear chance when Navas stretched to tip away Ludovic Ajorque’s sudden strike in the 18th minute and PSG did not muster a single shot on target in the first half.

    The hosts stepped up gear in the closing stages, with Neymar scoring his 21st goal in 20 Ligue 1 games at the Parc des Princes.

    He netted again two minutes later, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside position.

  • Neymar back for PSG after Barca transfer saga

    Neymar back for PSG after Barca transfer saga

    Neymar is available to play for Paris St Germain after being left out of their squad as negotiations took place over a potential return to Barcelona, coach Thomas Tuchel said on Friday.

    The Brazilian is likely to make his first appearance of the season for the Ligue 1 leaders at home against Racing Strasbourg on Saturday.

    Barca spent the bulk of the close season negotiating with PSG to bring Neymar back to the Camp Nou, two years after he left for a world record 222 million euros ($245 million) but the Catalans failed to strike a deal with the Ligue 1 champions.

    Tuchel told a news conference that all players were available except Thilo Kehrer, Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe.

    “Now that the transfer window is closed it’s not a distraction anymore,” Tuchel said of the Neymar saga.

    “Life is not too hard for him, living and playing in Paris.”

    Neymar is likely to get a cold reception from the Parc des Princes crowd after saying during the summer that his best memory as a footballer was PSG’s humiliating 6-1 defeat by Barca at the Camp Nou in the Champions League in 2017.

    “I can’t control how the fans will react,” said Tuchel.

    “But the more you talk about something the more it becomes a big thing.”

    PSG lead the Ligue 1 standings with nine points from four games.

    They start their Champions League campaign next Wednesday with a home game against Real Madrid.

    Neymar will be suspended for the match, however, for insulting match officials following the French side’s elimination from the competition last season.

  • I would have loved Neymar return – Messi

    Barcelona forward Lionel Messi says he would have “loved” for Neymar to return to Camp Nou as his arrival would have “increased our chances of achieving our objectives.”

    Neymar, 27, joined Paris St-Germain from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of 222m euros (£200m).

    “He was desperate to come back,” Messi told Spanish newspaper Sport. “I don’t know if the club really tried or not.”

    Neymar scored 105 goals in 186 games for the Catalan club between 2013-2017, and has 51 goals in 58 games for PSG.

    The Brazil international was repeatedly linked with a return to Barcelona during the transfer window, although it has been suggested that neither club was convinced that the other was committed to making a deal.

    “I would have loved to have Neymar back,” said Barcelona captain Messi, 32. “I understand those people who are against his return and it’s understandable for what happened with ‘Ney’ and the way that he left.

    “But thinking about it on a sporting level, I personally think Neymar is one of the best players in the world and having him in our squad would increase our chances of achieving our objectives.”