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Neymar defends Lionel Messi following a tough debut at PSG

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has come to the defence of Lionel Messi off the back of a relatively underwhelming first season at the club.

Amid a lot of controversies, Messi moved to PSG on a free transfer from Barcelona last summer but has failed to reach the heights which we have come to expect from him.

Eleven goals and 14 assists in 34 goals across all competitions is a decent return for sure except when you are viewed as the world’s best player.

Neymar was a teammate of Messi prior to his world-record move to Parc des Princes back in 2017 and he has now given his thoughts on the Argentine maestro’s subpar debut campaign.

“Leo has spent many years in Barcelona – it is difficult to adapt,” the 30-year-old told Canal Football Club.

“It is difficult to change teams and cities and besides, he came with his family.

“The language is also different, there are many confusing things.

“There is also the style of play of the team, with players who don’t understand how he plays so all of that is detrimental.”


Neymar, who is facing an uncertain future in the French capital, also commented on Kylian Mbappe’s recent contract extension after persistent talks of a Bosman switch to Real Madrid.

“I confess that I didn’t know about it until the last moment,” he added.

“I found out a day before the announcement and I was very happy that Kylian decided to stay.”

“I think the PSG project is the right one for his career – it’s good that he stays a few more years at PSG, and that he tries to win a Champions League in his country, with the team from his city. 

“Maybe he wants to change his mind and play for another team in the future, but I think his decision to stay is the right one.”

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