The Brazilian scored a brace for PSG at the weekend
Neymar has hit back at the reporter who claimed he was turning up to training “almost drunk” after scoring a brace for Paris Saint-Germain.
The Brazilian got on the scoresheet twice as the Parisians thrashed Lorient 5-1 on Sunday night. Frenchman Kylian Mbappé also scored a brace while Argentine Lionel Messi bagged his eighth goal of the campaign.
Neymar was accused of turning up to training drunk
While Neymar’s season has been somewhat hampered by injures, the former Barcelona man was criticised in a recent report and accused of arriving at training drunk.
“Neymar hardly trains anymore, he arrives in a sorry state, almost drunk. That’s the way it is, Neymar is in a spirit of revenge against PSG,” said RMC Sport journalist Daniel Riolo last month.
PSG rubbished the claim and reacted by stating they “don’t respond to fake news”. Neymar’s Brazil team-mate Lucas Paqueta also dismissed the report.
Now, Neymar has finally spoken out for the first time with a brilliant response on social media.
Posting a video of his second goal against Lorient, he wrote on Instagram: “I was ‘drunk’, that’s why it worked…as they say around there.”
Neymar on Instagram:
“I was ‘drunk’, that’s why it worked…as they say around there.”
His comment was in response to @DanielRiolo
's accusation that Neymar was turning up for training “almost drunk”. pic.twitter.com/NVgHcs3Ghf— Rene_Otinga (@r_otinga) April 5, 2022
The Brazilian star was defended by Lyon midfielder Paqueta at the time, who insisted that it showed a ‘total lack of respect’ towards the PSG man.
Speaking during the recent international break, he said: “It’s a total lack of respect, to say or transmit information that is false.”
“Obviously, he (Neymar) didn’t comment on that, I believe it’s a lie.
“People talk too much and it ends up affecting us a little in a way, it’s difficult to filter all that. You can’t believe what people say… I believe Neymar is a great professional.”
Pochettino pleased to see players ‘having fun’ again
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted that despite the victory over Lorient, his players were still hurting from the Champions League exit against Real Madrid.
However, the Argentine added that he was pleased to see his players “having fun” once again.
“I don’t think you can heal so quickly from an injury as deep as elimination in the Champions League,” he said.
“It will take time. But it was good to win, to stay on track in Ligue 1 which is the only competition we have left to play until the end of the season.
“We had to take the three points to maintain the distance with our opponents. It’s also good to have seen the players having fun like this (Sunday) evening.”
Related links:
- Pochettino says Messi and Neymar were affected by PSG fan boos
- PSG chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi urges UEFA to introduce Super Bowl-style opening ceremony
- PSG shit-show continues as ‘angry’ Achraf Hakimi ‘wants to leave’
