Off the Pitch

Why Neymar and Mbappe had issues at PSG

Brazilian football star Neymar has shed light on the reasons behind the strained relationship with his former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate, Kylian Mbappé. In a candid interview, Neymar revealed that Lionel Messi’s arrival at PSG marked the turning point in their friendship.

Neymar joined PSG in the summer of 2017 for a record-breaking €222 million transfer fee from Barcelona. Shortly after, Mbappé was signed on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for €160 million. The duo initially enjoyed a strong partnership, leading PSG to their first-ever Champions League final in 2020, where they lost to Bayern Munich.

However, Neymar admitted that their relationship began to deteriorate after Messi joined the club in 2021.

In the interview, Neymar opened up about how Mbappé’s behaviour changed after Messi’s arrival, attributing it to jealousy.

“Mbappé wasn’t annoying at first,” Neymar said. “But when Messi came, I think he became a little jealous. He didn’t want to share me with anyone!”

The Al Hilal forward described how his friendship with Messi seemed to unsettle Mbappé, leading to tensions between them.

“I used to call Mbappé ‘Golden Boy.’ I always talked to him, encouraged him, and told him he’d be one of the best players in the world,” Neymar explained. “But when Leo arrived, he became a bit jealous. That’s when the fights started and his behaviour changed.”

Despite their early camaraderie, Neymar revealed that the dynamics within the team shifted, affecting his relationship with Mbappé.

“We had a little fight,” Neymar admitted. “He was like a younger brother at the start, but things changed after Messi came. I think he felt like he was losing my attention.”

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
oldest
newest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Related Articles

Back to top button
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x