Neymar will have to face unhappy PSG fans, says coach Thomas Tuchel
Although Ligue 1 Champions PSG have been able to hold on to Neymar, manager Thomas Tuchel believes that he will have to face the wrath of disgruntled PSG fans. Neymar was on the verge of a shock switch to Barcelona this summer, but the move broke down on the final day of the transfer window.
Neymar, the world's most expensive player, has now realised that he will have to stay in the French league yet another season, with PSG and former club Barcelona failing to agree on terms on a move before the transfer window closed. However, his antics have not pleased the PSG fans this season, who have booed and asked the Brazilian to leave the club, which has seen Thomas Tuchel ask Neymar to fight through.
"I can understand not all supporters are happy with the Neymar situation and with what happened. But I can not influence the reaction of the supporters, I cannot control them. The only thing I can control is what is happening in my team. Life is not too hard for Neymar. To live and to play in Paris, that's not too hard! If you speak all the time about everything that has been said, we will get crazy, that's not possible," said Tuchel to Sky Sports.
"Neymar is a PSG player. Therefore he is available to play tomorrow. Yesterday he trained, I expect him to train well today. After that, he'll be ready to play," concluded the former Borussia Dortmund manager.
The relationship between Neymar and the PSG ultras have soured, but it does look like they're willing to give him a chance to prove himself. In a statement, the Collectif Ultras Paris went on to reveal that while they believe Neymar is one of the greatest players of his generation, he has to prove to them that he wants to stay at PSG. They further go on to add, that Neymar's favourite footballing moment reveal has upset them and his attitude to the club is their biggest problem.
“In a footballing sense, Neymar is one of the greatest players of his generation, but that's far from the most important thing for us today. What we reproach him for is being disrespectful on several occasions towards our club, even to have humiliated it at times. He has put in place a disastrous communication strategy to try and force a move to Barcelona, one of our main European rivals, leaving his entourage to speak in his place... except when it comes to discussing his best memories!
"At a time when he has made no public statement, let alone an apology, he will soon return to the field of our Parc des Princes, and we are legitimately more than sceptical about him playing another season in our jersey. The Virage Auteuil, in which the most loyal supporters of the club are grouped, has the duty to show him that all his actions cannot be without consequence. Therefore, we invite all the Parisian supporters who have felt hurt at one point or another to show him that he no longer has the right to make mistakes and the path of redemption will be long... very long," they went on to add.