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Former Brazilian international Walter Casagrande Jr. has stated that Neymar's career has gone backwards since joining Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from Barcelona in 2017.
Casagrande Jr. has claimed that the 30-year-old is hated in France at the moment. He also believes that the Brazil captain is not a model professional whose development has stalled since leaving the Nou Camp.
He has registered seven goals and five assists in 22 games this season.
The 58-year-old told Globo Esporte (reported via PSGTalk):
“Neymar is in a terrible moment, being execrated in France and the rest of Europe. I still think he is a childish, spoiled, unfocused guy. He was a top star when he appeared at Santos, even at a very young age, scoring memorable games and goals."
He also believes that Neymar lost his drive to compete in Paris and hence his career is falling apart.
"He was a great adjunct to Messi at Barcelona, his best moment in Europe. But when he chose to go to PSG, he gradually fell apart. He had several injuries, and don’t tell me that they had nothing to do with his social behavior. He lost his explosiveness and his drive. As a result, his dribbling diminished.”
Has Neymar's career actually gone backwards since moving to PSG?
Paris Saint-Germain broke the world-record transfer fee in August 2017 by signing Neymar for £190 million. The Brazilian has failed to justify the price tag at the Parc des Princes.
Neymar was expected to usher them into a new era of European dominance. However, such has not been the case, with the player failing to deliver on the big stage on more than one occasion.
He has won 10 trophies with PSG but the UEFA Champions League has eluded them. He also failed to compete for the Ballon d'Or trophies while in Paris
His inconsistency has been further hampered by injuries. At 30, Neymar has possibly left his best days behind him. He has racked up a total of 92 goals and 57 assists in 137 games for the French giants till date, which seems impressive but has hardly been decisive for his employers.
