Well this was poorly judged.
Neymar took to social media earlier today to update fans on his recovery progress as he comes back from injury. That sounds pretty innocuous, and you’d be right, if the PSG star hadn’t bizarrely attempted to honour Stephen Hawking, who sadly passed away today, in the same post.
It’s safe to say he got it all a bit wrong.
It’s safe to say he got it very wrong.
Você tem que ter uma atitude positiva e tirar o melhor da situação na qual se encontra.
Stephen Hawking pic.twitter.com/JE2MtyuT6b
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) March 14, 2018
The quote, in Portuguese, is: “You have to have a positive attitude and get the best out of the situation in which you find yourself.”
Neymar. Mate. Come on.
Understandably, people weren’t best please with the Brazilian forward comparing his injury recovery to Stephen Hawking’s lifelong battle against motor neurone disease ALS, which he was diagnosed with at only 21.
Personally, I think they have a point. Needless to say, he got ridiculed for it.
Neymar there, with his sore metatarsal and sprained ankle, marking Stephen Hawking's death by cheerily comparing himself to quadriplegic Stephen Hawking 🤦 pic.twitter.com/f9bkh5AEhb
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) March 14, 2018
Neymar usually seems to get social media. This is not one of those times. https://t.co/A0YnRjmtaR
— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) March 14, 2018
Good on Neymar to compare his injury to hmm…
*checks notes*
*squints*
A man who battled ALS for 45 years https://t.co/scwWIe6GCn
— The Orlando Soccer Show (@OrlSoccerShow) March 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/DavidSRudin/status/973990051653791747