Neymar claims players at PSG don't understand Messi
The outspoken Brazilian has spoken up against his teammate's critics
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. is back in the headlines, but this time he is speaking up to defend his old friend and current teammate Lionel Messi, who has been receiving a lot of criticism after completing his first full year with the Ligue 1 side.
"He has been at Barcelona for many years and adapting is not easy. It's difficult to change team and city. Besides, he doesn't come alone. He is accompanied by his family," said Neymar, in an interview with Canal Futbol Club as quoted by Marca.
The former Barcelona captain moved to PSG last summer amid massive hype and a mountain of expectations. However, Messi's first season in France was seen as mediocre at best, managing only six goals in Ligue 1 and another 5 in the Champions League. He also has 14 assists under his belt, which is not bad on paper for most other players. Unfortunately, much more is expected out of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Apart from the actual adjustment of moving to Paris with his family, Neymar revealed that the PSG squad is not blending well. He claims that some players in the squad are not able to understand how Messi plays. This means that the club is not able to make full use of the Argentine's presence.
"There is also the style of play of the team with players who in the end don't understand the way they play. So all of that is detrimental," claimed Neymar.
Of course, Messi is not the only player in the hot seat, with the Brazilian often finding himself at the receiving end of barbs coming out of the media. Things reached their peak when PSG were knocked out by Real Madrid in the Champions League, with many looking for someone to blame.
"Leo, Kylian and I are players who are always judged by their performance, by their stats, by their titles won, by everything," he said.
Meanwhile, the much hyped attacking trio will have another chance to work together and prove their worth in the coming season. Mbappe finally signed a controversial contract extension after rejecting an offer from Real Madrid. Neymar, for his part, has also confirmed that he is not planning on going anywhere.
