Neymar reveals a secret of him and Messi, Mbappe needs to learn about them

Neymar Jr. arrived in French football in 2017 when the Brazil international moved from Paris Saint-Germain to FC Barcelona. The 30-year-old came over from La Liga and discovered that Ligue 1 is vastly different. In a recent interview, Neymar noted that the league’s physicality surprised him the most all these years. 

“I had no idea how strong and intense it was here. The only way to escape them is to be attentive, concentrated so as not to suffer injuries that I have known in the past because of violent hits.” Additionally, the PSG star revealed how he protects himself from players who aren’t only attempting to take the ball away from him; they also want to cause physical harm.

More related stories:

While he feels like the king, the new problem that Mbappe has in PSG, it includes Messi

While Messi is focused at PSG, what Mbappe said that enraged fans

“The more I get into it, and the more I want to dribble,” Neymar added. “It’s the only way I have to protect myself and attack the opponent. I don’t know how to get into it and don’t really know how to defend, so I use the dribble.” It’s no surprise to anyone who follows Ligue 1 that football is a physical type and often the officiating allows players to get away with a little more than they should. 

The league’s physicality has also brought about injuries to Neymar, causing him to miss key UEFA Champions League matchups during his time with the French giants. Although Ligue 1 prides itself on physicality, the league should also attempt to protect star players, which is who the fans want to see and who drive financial investment into French football.

Can Neymar stay injury-free?

Neymar Jr. is seeing a great 2022-23 football season and the Paris Saint-Germain forward is heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this month. The Brazil international has scored 15 goals and recorded 12 assists in 19 appearances, so Neymar is putting together a season that could see him contend for the Ballon d’Or next year.