5 negative effects of Neymar's departure on Barcelona

#3 Splitting of 'MSN'

FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad de Futbol - La Liga — The 'MSN 'trio was regarded as one of the greatest attacking trios in history

After Neymar made his switch from Brazilian club Santos to the Catalan club in 2013, all eyes were already on him. Although he did not make a big impact in his first season, the Brazilian came to the limelight in the following season, after he formed a formidable attacking trio with club legend Lionel Messi and Barcelona's new signing Luis Suarez.

They formed a deadly attacking partnership called 'The MSN' and took Europe by storm with fantastic attacking football. The dedication, passion, hunger, ambition and the colossal gel of friendship that these players shared helped to power Barcelona to glory, including a historic treble in 2015, scoring over 100 goals every season.

When Neymar decided to leave the club, however, the 'MSN' became split and the idea was not welcomed by many, who could not imagine seeing this current Barcelona side without the three famous magicians up front.

The implication of Neymar's action is that Barcelona can no longer boast of their attack as the best in the world, as his move unsettled the Blaugrana up front.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Martin King