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What's the story?
Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar Jr could have reached a higher performance level and placed himself among the best players in the world if he shared the same mindset as Juventus talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
In case you didn't know...
Neymar was a part of Europe's most lethal attacking unit during his stint with Barcelona. Together with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, the forward terrorised defences across the continent for years before making a €222 million transfer to PSG in 2017.
The Brazil international has since struggled to live up to expectations that came with such a hefty price tag as his time at the Parc des Princes has been marred by injuries and off-the-pitch antics.
The 27-year-old was the subject of the summer transfer window's most talked-about transfer as he was keen on making a sensational return to the Camp Nou. Ultimately, a move failed to materialise as the Blaugrana had already acquired the services of Antoine Griezmann earlier in the summer.
The heart of the matter
Jesus has named some of the best players in football and insisted that Neymar, like Ronaldinho, would've been a better player if he had the same mindset and training as Ronaldo.
When asked about the best player of all time in an interview with Globo Esporte, Jesus said, via SPORT,
"I've never seen Pele, Puskas, Garrincha play. I saw the final few years of Maradona, plus Messi and Ronaldo are from another planet. They have different styles but both are something exceptional.
"I don't know. My idol was Cruyff. Maradona was fantastic. Messi too. Ronaldinho, who like Neymar, could've reached a higher level if they had the training and mindset that Cristiano Ronaldo has."
What's next?
Neymar is currently on international duty with Brazil and it remains to be seen if he will return to action with PSG when they face Strasbourg on Saturday.
