Neymar expresses discontent in Saudi Arabia, reportedly calls for ‘sacking of manager’ after just three matches

Neymar, a Brazilian forward, recently transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal, but his relationship with the club has already soured due to a rumored falling out with manager Jorge Jesus.

Chirag

September 25, 2023

Neymar’s transition to Saudi Arabia has taken a troubling turn amidst reports of a rift with his manager. The Brazilian football sensation recently made a £75 million move to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, departing from PSG only last month.

Unfortunately, it seems that discontent has surfaced rather quickly. According to reports from the Spanish outlet Diario Sport, Neymar is exceedingly dissatisfied and has urged the club’s leadership to dismiss manager Jorge Jesus.

The 31-year-old forward has not managed to find the net in any of his three appearances for the club, and it appears that Jesus criticized him for displaying a “bad attitude.”

Neymar did not respond positively to this criticism and is actively seeking to leverage his influence to have Jesus removed from his managerial role.

This apparent falling out occurred following Al-Hilal’s underwhelming draw against Uzbekistani team Navbahor Namangan in the AFC Champions League last week.

Neymar was observed engaging in a physical altercation on the field, which involved pushing an opponent and kicking the ball at him.

The football community on social media did not hold back in their criticism of the former Barcelona player, labelling him as “petulant,” “toxic,” and “unprofessional.”

Some even suggested that he might have mentally disengaged from the sport and would be better off retiring.

On the other hand, Jorge Jesus is a seasoned manager with over 25 years of experience coaching in top-tier European football.

English fans may recall his tenures at clubs such as Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, and Fenerbahce. He returned to Al-Hilal in July, having previously managed the club from June 2018 to January 2019.

Despite the tension between Jesus and Neymar, Al-Hilal has started the new season on a positive note. The club, which also made notable signings like Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic over the summer, stands as the sole undefeated team in the Saudi Pro League.

They have secured victory in five of their initial seven matches and are just one point behind the league leaders, Al-Ittihad.

Al-Hilal boasts the most successful record in the division, with an impressive 18 league titles to their name. Their closest competitors, Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, have each claimed nine league titles, but they currently trail behind Al-Hilal’s storied history of success.