Neymar's Father Fires Shots at Barcelona After Big-Money Move to PSG
The father of new Paris Saint Germain signing Neymar Jr has fired shots at the Barcelona board - claiming that they are the reason behind him changing his mind to allow the 25-year-old to leave the Nou Camp.
The younger Neymar left Catalonia after PSG activated his £198m buyout clause, but the Spanish club refused to pay Neymar Sr a €26m loyalty bonus agreed upon in his son's new deal last year - with many believing that this left a bad taste in the mouth of his father:
"I tried to convince my son to stay at Barcelona, but with the attitude of the board I changed my mind," Neymar Sr. told COPE (via Marca)
"It was a difficult choice, you as a father put yourself in his place, when a son makes a choice, and what do you do, do I force him to stay?
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"No, because he will throw it in my face and will say: 'You did not let me go.'"
"He plays football and I manage his career."
According to the footballer's dad, the winger made his decision to leave Barcelona on the way home from the club's tour of China, and he added that Lionel Messi will always be the main man at the club.
The reason behind the Blaugrana's refusal to pay the bonus is understood to be because the club do not feel the Brazilian deserves it, an inside source being quoted by Marca as saying:
"Resentment is not good, now he must be angry at the retention of the renewal premium, but time will put everyone in their place".
