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Journalist Daniel Riolo has slammed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar Jr. for failing to find his pre-World Cup form.
The Brazilian was part of PSG's starting XI alongside Lionel Messi as they lost their most recent Ligue 1 encounter to Rennes 1-0 on Sunday (January 15). The team's third attacking superstar, Kylian Mbappe, notably came off the bench.
This was the French giants' second defeat since the restart. They previously went down 3-1 to second-placed RC Lens on January 2. The two defeats, however, haven't yet affected the club's spot at the top of the league table. They still lead the Ligue 1 standings with 47 points after 19 matches, three points more than Lens.
Speaking after the Parisians' loss to Rennes, Riolo let loose on Neymar. He believes the superstar forward only performed well in the first half of the season as he had the World Cup to prepare for.
He even termed the former Barcelona man's transfer as the biggest flop in the history of the game.
"He made fun of all the PSG supporters by having a good half-season because he had a World Cup to prepare for. In terms of recruitment, transfer, salary, it's the biggest flop in the history of football," Riolo said on After Foot RMC.
Neymar had scored 15 and assisted 12 goals before the World Cup-induced break, but has managed just one more assist since the restart.
How Neymar has fared in five-and-a-half years at PSG
Neymar joined the French giants in a blockbuster €222 million move from Barcelona in the 2017 summer transfer window, making him the costliest signing in football history.
He has since made 167 appearances for the club across competitions, scoring 115 goals and assisting 73. While this has helped the club dominate the domestic circuit in France, they have failed to win the elusive UEFA Champions League title.
The best that they have managed is a runner-up finish in the 2019-20 season, where they went down to Bayern Munich in the final. Despite adding Lionel Messi to their squad in the summer of 2021, they couldn't land the Champions League title last season, losing to Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
The French giants and their fans will hope that Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. can finally lead them to the elusive Champions League crown this season. However, to do that, they will need to quickly get out of their recent wobble and regain consistency.
