What’s the story?
Brazilian sensation, Neymar, is arguably one of the 5 best footballers in the world right now and, as such, is the focus of attention of media outlets. According to reports in Spanish outlet Don Balon (h/t Express), the 25-year-old regrets his decision to join Barcelona by snubbing a move to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
The Catalan giants have already been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Juventus in the quarter-finals and are set to lose out to Madrid in the La Liga title race, and this has made the Brazilian question his decision of choosing the Catalan giants over the capital outfit.
In case you didn’t know…
Neymar had made a name for himself as one of the hottest prospects in the world of football, having already won the Puskas Award for his solo goal against Flamengo in 2011, aged 19.
Real Madrid and Barcelona were closely monitoring his situation since his late teens and in September 2011, after reports had emerged that Los Blancos were attempting to sign the wonderkid on a pre-contract agreement, Santos president Luis Ribiero even threatened Real Madrid that he would report them to FIFA.
In May 2013, Neymar’s club announced that they had two offers on the table for the fleet-footed forward, however, in subsequent days the forward himself announced that he will sign for Barcelona.
(Disclaimer: Don Balon report a lot of stuff that is hard to believe, so, take this with a pinch-of-salt.)
The heart of the matter
Ever since Neymar’s £71.5 million controversial move from Santos to Catalunya, the Blaugrana have won 2 La Ligas, 2 Copa del Reys, 2 Supercopa de Espana and one each of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Winning 9 trophies in less than 4 years is no mean feat, especially considering they should add yet another Copa del Rey to their tally when they face Alaves later this month.
Barcelona may also win the La Liga on the final day of the season if they beat Eibar and Malaga beat Real Madrid but the chances of that happening are very slim.
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However, while Barcelona have dominated the domestic scenario, it is their arch-rivals Real Madrid who have peaked on the biggest stage of all – the UEFA Champions League. Los Blancos have won the elite European competition in 2 of the last 3 seasons and are on course to become the first team in Champions League era to successfully retain the prestigious trophy if they beat Juventus in the final on 3rd June.
It is because of this that the Brazilian forward is regretting his decision to move to Camp Nou instead of the Santiago Bernabeu.
What’s next?
Neymar has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United but the transfer is unlikely to happen due to the enormous buyout clause of the 25-year-old (€190 million).
The Catalan giants are expected to undergo a complete overhaul in the summer and with a new manager coming in, the future could be bright for them, with Neymar playing a starring role.
Author's Take
While reports in Spanish daily Don Balon are to be taken with a pinch of salt, it can be understood where Neymar is coming from. Real Madrid may have only won 7 trophies compared to Barcelona’s 9, but they have won what matters the most – UEFA Champions League – on more occasions and if things go their way, they will add one more to their tally before the season ends.
Neymar made his decision when he had to and he should focus on helping his team reach greater heights rather than regretting his decisions, for he has the chance to become one of the best footballers in the world in the coming years.
