Neymar will miss half of the UEFA Champions League group stage next season after being banned three games by European soccer’s governing body for insulting match officials.
[ MORE: Pogba, Hazard to Real? ]
The Brazilian superstar, 27, sent out abusive messages on Instagram after his Paris Saint-Germain side lost 3-1 late on at home against Manchester United to crash out at the Round of 16 stage.
He sent the following message after the shocking defeat at the Parc des Princes on Mar. 14 which saw United awarded a penalty kick in the 90th minute via VAR with Presnel Kimpembe adjudged to have handled.
“This is a disgrace. They put four people that know nothing about football in charge of looking at the replay for VAR. There is no penalty. How can it be a handball when it hits his back! Go f*** yourselves!”
Neymar was watching the game from the stands and has spent a large chunk of this season and last season out injured for Les Parisiens.
In more Neymar news, he has suggested a linkup with Belgian star Eden Hazard is possible.
The latter has been linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer and so too has Neymar considering his struggles on and off the pitch at PSG.
“I would like to play with Hazard. He has a style similar to mine,” Neymar said. “I think I could give it a try. We would cause havoc together!”
That they would. But where? That is the big question and although Neymar could mean PSG, it’s clear the hint is Real Madrid.
With Real Madrid lining up a huge overhaul of their squad under Zinedine Zidane, Neymar, Hazard and Paul Pogba at the Santiago Bernabeu would certainly freshen things up. Neymar doesn’t have a release clause in his current contract with PSG which runs until the summer of 2022, and despite his inconsistent form and spate of injuries, the French giants would still expect to demand a fee of over $250 million for his services.
Would Real pay that much for him? Probably not. But where there’s a will on both parts, there’s a way, and it seems like that is increasingly the case.