Neymar has no luck with PSG when the music gets tense, it's a fact. The worst omens confirmed the injury of the Brazilian star in the left adductor, after the hard entry of Yago in the Parisian visit to Caen. Four weeks off in which the next survey will be missed to begin with.I enter the league against Nice and the first leg of the Champions League last 16 against Barça next Tuesday. It is not the first time that the Mogi das Cruzes player must be absent from a match of this category, because in Paris they already suffered their lack in previous eliminatory, see Real Madrid (he missed the return in 2018) or Manchester United (both games in 2019). However, from France they point in another direction and, although they do not wield the bad fortune of their share of the blame, they point to the hectic lifestyle of Ney as part of the problem.
“Serious, diligent and rigorous in the sessions, the Brazilian believes, perhaps too often, that his work stops at the exit of the Parc des Princes or the Camp des Loges, once the games or training sessions are over”, slide 'L'Équipe'. This medium recalls some statements pertaining to the interview granted to 'TF1' on January 31st: “The party is an opportunity to relax, to enjoy (…). It is something I will never give up.” When the former Barça player is at the top, no one disputes his place in the elite, but, as we were advancing, the ordeal of injuries that has accompanied him since he left Barcelona (he has only been able to play 103 of the 191 games played by his team since his arrival in 2017) has not let him remove the yoke of doubts.
Messi and Ronaldo, the mirror of comparison
The scandals around the birthday of his sister Rafaella, which turns 25 this March 11, have starred in many pages in the newspapers and these types of celebrations, tremendously media, are those that the French media remembers, while comparing their way of life with that of the two stars a those that he was called to relieve in the Olympus of football, Messi and Cristiano: “Other great players, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for example, do not celebrate their birthdays with great pomp (…). And next week, the two Ballons d'Or will be able to defend their colors in the Champions League at first. Unlike Neymar “.
Neymar's numbers this season
SofaScore
This accusation is accompanied by a belief within PSG, since they point out that internally, some members of the club consider that their hours of sleep, their diet and their hydration are not always in line with what is required by a high-level athlete. While they remember that a lot of leisure is allowed in their free afternoons, something that is usually staged on their social networks. Although they remember that the entries of the rivals, of which Neymar himself has recently complained, questioning the longevity of his own career, have been the cause of physical problems, this point to his way of life feels, directly , to the extreme in a fictitious dock …
“Trapped by his lifestyle”
And 'L'Équipe' is not the only medium that alludes to Neymar's lifestyle. 'Le Parisien', PSG newspaper, has interviewed Jean-Bernard Fabre, doctor in physiology, specialized in the mechanism of fatigue and director of research centerstion in this regard. “It's crazy that that was done. It's really fragile!”, says the doctor, who considers that “When a year passes you, you can say it's bad luck, but … It happens every year.” “There is no secret to high performance. You may be unlucky, but experience shows that for all athletes, whatever the sport, what follows a certain guideline is not injured. Nikola Karabatic, handball player, has not been injured in a long time because he had a healthy lifestyle, rigor in training. Federer, Nadal … they do whatever it takes because he understands that every day is important to build a career among the greats … “, defends.
“Problem, I had a little alcohol …”
Dr. Fabre continues, when asked what he thinks that everything happened four days after having a gastroenteritis and his birthday: “It is not a simple matter, you have to contextualize it. It is a time when it is very cold and it is a good time for muscle injuries. It's a set of things. Even though you had stomach problems, you may have had a birthday party too, didn't go to bed early, and probably had some alcohol …“.
In the same way, the comparison with Messi and Cristiano comes back to the fore: “I don't know Neymar, but it seems that, despite everything, something is wrong. And that is what makes the difference between him and others of his level like Messi and Ronaldo. They never get hurt. Neymar is as talented as they are, he can even be more explosive than Ronaldo (…) There are those who progress every year, who are capable of managing their efforts and have the right intelligence to prepare correctly … “.
“It can only get worse”
Finally, he charges against the way of facing the crucial moments that the Brazilian has: “He does not have hindsight and wisdom to understand that every year he is injured (…). What's the point of challenging a boy in Caen when you have a match in Barcelona six days later? There is something in his approach to the sets of the game. (Make him play) It's a double trouble, you know it's fragile. A priori, lately I had not done everything necessary to be in optimal condition or, in any case, reduce the risk of a problem occurring … “. As he puts in doubt the renewal, a hot and topical issue at PSG: “He is 29 years old, his period in which, in quotes, he is indestructible has ended. In addition, As you get older, you pay for all the deficiencies related to your preparation and recovery. Your lifestyle catches you (…). It can only get worse. “