Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar Jr. has faced his share of criticism, some with valid criticism of how the 30-year-old plays, others with a clear program against the veteran striker.
Former AC Milan and Ajax attache Marco van Basten claims the latter made strong comments towards Neymar. Van Basten didn’t hold back his criticism saying the Brazil international was ‘unpleasant’ on the pitch.
“Neymar is a real whiner; he teases constantly,” Basten said on a Dutch broadcast (h/t UOL). “One second he’s foul on someone, and the next he’s playing the victim again. There is no permission to touch it.
“I would applaud if someone really looked after him. An unpleasant person in the field.
/wp-content/uploads/neymar-psg-v-benfica-ucl-2022.jpg "Former Ajax and AC Milan star makes it clear why Neymar is a \"crybaby\"")
Van Basten isn’t the first, nor will he be the last former manager or player to try to see how Neymar performs on the pitch. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Still, it’s one thing to say he’s a « crybaby, » which is a criticism that many may argue against and so far as that claim is concerned. However, van Basten is being unprofessional saying he wants an opponent to deal with him.
These remarks are left open to interpretation, given that it could mean that van Basten might want someone to bless Neymar, either through a dirty tackle or by stunning him in a heated exchange.
It’s good to dislike Neymar and criticize him, but it’s another thing to want to see an opponent hurt him.