It’s been three weeks since Neymar was hit by a bottle on the pitch, in Barcelona’s victory over Valencia, but the player’s behavior continues to be questioned in Spain following the episode.
In an interview with Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian’s father spoke on the subject. Neymar’s father specifically downplayed the Valencia episode, noting that the man responsible for throwing the bottle had already apologized. He also does not give much importance to those who criticize his son about the alleged excess of provocations on the field. He said: “If you want a video game, put it there and that’s it. If football was an exact math, we would know who should win and who should lose. Today, you have to make decisions in tenths of a second. Football is very dynamic, passionate for all, we cannot be perfect. If I can give my son advice to be calm, of course I will, but we are human beings, and he needs to go through these experiences. He has made several mistakes, but he will not repeat the same mistake.”
He added: “This is Neymar’s style. Barcelona signed Neymar because they wanted a player of this style, and Neymar likes to play like that. And I don’t think they see him as a provocative player today.”
Neymar’s father is expecting a “very heated game” and praised his son’s relationship with his rival, Lionel Messi. He said: “Neymar likes to compete with his friends. Messi and Ney are very competitive, passionate about football.”
It’s been three weeks since Neymar was hit by a bottle on the pitch, in Barcelona’s victory over Valencia, but the player’s behavior continues to be questioned in Spain following the episode.
In an interview with Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, the Brazilian’s father spoke on the subject. Neymar’s father specifically downplayed the Valencia episode, noting that the man responsible for throwing the bottle had already apologized. He also does not give much importance to those who criticize his son about the alleged excess of provocations on the field. He said: “If you want a video game, put it there and that’s it. If football was an exact math, we would know who should win and who should lose. Today, you have to make decisions in tenths of a second. Football is very dynamic, passionate for all, we cannot be perfect. If I can give my son advice to be calm, of course I will, but we are human beings, and he needs to go through these experiences. He has made several mistakes, but he will not repeat the same mistake.”
He added: “This is Neymar’s style. Barcelona signed Neymar because they wanted a player of this style, and Neymar likes to play like that. And I don’t think they see him as a provocative player today.”
Neymar’s father is expecting a “very heated game” when Brazil takes on Argentina on Thursday, and praised his son’s relationship with his rival, Lionel Messi. He said: “Neymar likes to compete with his friends. Messi and Ney are very competitive, passionate about football.”
