Neymar

A recurring question has done the rounds recently: would you risk Messi in theclásico? Not long ago, the answer would have been: what kind of question is that? The fact it is even being asked is revealing. “You always miss Messi,” Andrés Iniesta said and that too was telling, a response to suggestions Barcelona have not. After all, however much everyone keeps saying Messi is irreplaceable, Suárez and Neymar have done some job of replacing him. If they have to extend that to one more game, even this game, so be it.

Since Messi made his debut, he has missed only two clásicos, in 2005-06 and2007-08, and Barcelona did not win either. They would rather he did not miss a third but they have never been better equipped to win without him.

Messi was injured against Las Palmas on 26 September, eight weeks before the visit to Real Madrid; eight weeks doctors hoped it would take him to get fit. There was, though, no guarantee. When he hit the ground the stadium fell silent. A headline read simply: “Gulp!” Another said: “No meaning without Messi.” Their ambition was to hang on until his return and hope it would be in time for the clásico. Instead, they have ended up enjoying it. Barcelona were a point behind and Madrid counted on taking advantage but Barça go into the clásico three points clear.

In 10 games without Messi, Barcelona have won eight, drawn an irrelevant Copa del Rey first-leg match against Villanovense in which they played a team of reserves, and lost one: at Sevilla’s Sánchez Pizjuán, where Madrid too were defeated. Barely five minutes had passed against Las Palmas when he suffered the injury but Suárez scored two and so it began. Between them, Suárez and Neymar have scored every one of the club’s 16 league goals in Messi’s absence, eight each. They have 20 of 23 in all competitions, 10 each.

Perhaps it should be no surprise. After all, last season Neymar and Suárez were part of a front three who scored 122 goals and if Messi remained the key figure, the man they all held up as the best, the word tridente was well chosen. The three of them are genuinely close, friends as well as team-mates. “I have changed my game and my life a lot: before I came they said that I would fight with Messi: I knew that wouldn’t happen,” Neymar said. “From the start Messi has helped me.”

The Argentinian’s excellence did not eclipse all else, even as they subjugated themselves to him, publicly and privately reinforcing his status, something they do even now in his absence – especially now. “He felt like Messi’s butler, now he feels like his partner,” Jorge Valdano said, and the spread of goals across all competitions ran: Messi 45, Neymar 42, Suárez 35.

Neymar and Suárez scored in the Champions League final in Berlin, making the trio’s competition tally 10, 10, 9, and in 2015 the tridente could already lay claim to being the best three players in the world. No surprise, perhaps: after all, Suárez cost €80m, while what Neymar cost is still being argued over, but stands at €57.1m, at least. In his first season at Barcelona, Neymar had scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists, while last season he added seven assists to those 42 goals.

The man who discovered Neymar, Muricy Ramalho, once told El País: “Neymar will be the best in the world ... when Ronaldo and Messi slip.” Perhaps the absence of others, through injury or loss of form, was all it took. And yet the step up this season has still been striking, his performances astonishing. “He is the second‑best player in the world, just behind Leo,” Suárez said this week.

Neymar said recently he feels more at home than ever before. He and Suárez had assumed their roles last season; over the past 10 weeks, they have been redefined. “We all know our roles; I don’t dribble round three or four players like Neymar does,” Suárez said.

Neymar does that and more. In Messi’s absence his role has been to lead, to beMessi, even if he is more Romário meets Ronaldinho. Barcelona’s manager, Luis Enrique, insisted he did not ask Neymar to change anything or take responsibility, but he has: unconsciously perhaps, but clearly. Amid defeat it perhaps went unnoticed but look again and you can see it in Sevilla eight games ago. Barcelona lost, caught out twice in six minutes. Two down, Neymar led a comeback that was abortive but cast him as a leader. Four times they hit the post.

Barcelona’s creative axis has tilted from right to left, from Messi (and Dani Alves), to Neymar (and Jordi Alba). Not that Neymar is staying left; his involvement has spread. “Look at the stats and he is the best player in the world at the moment,” the Brazil manager, Dunga, said. The number of touches he is getting on the ball, now averaging 85 a game, has increased by almost a third on last season and he is not far off double the number of shots. He is completing more dribbles and playing more key passes. Of Barcelona’s past 16 goals he has been directly involved in 14. He is La Liga’s top scorer on 11 goals.

And here’s another number: Neymar is 23. He is 23, he lives in a foreign country where he has to play a different type of football and learn another language. He missed the start of the season with mumps. He, his father, his club’s former president, his club’s current president, and his club are under investigation for tax fraud, with prosecutors claiming the real cost of his transfer was closer to €87.m than €57m, while a civil suit has been brought against him too by the Brazilian company DIS. Back in Brazil, he has had his assets frozen, 188.8m reais’ (£33m) worth.

This week, as contract negotiations continued, and calls came in from other clubs, Neymar’s father insisted his son wants to stay at Barcelona but opened the door to a departure, insisting they needed “judicial security” and “peace of mind” to stay. “I don’t want to use the word ‘persecution’, but ...” he said. He did use words like attack: “For two and a half years we have had to defend ourselves,” he said.

The week of the clásico might not have been the best time to raise the possibility of a departure, nor air such problems. And yet if all that has not effected Neymar so far, perhaps there is no reason to believe that it will now either. He has scored more goals (183) than Ronaldo (118) or even Messi (150) had at his age, and that off-field pressure seems to barely matter. The pressure of the game, of leading the team, has brought even more out of him. Here is a player of temperament as well as talent: daring, skilful, brave, always running at people.

“He’s electric,” Luis Enrique said. “When he runs into the area, either they commit a penalty or he scores.” Not many players bamboozle defenders any more; Neymar does, the footwork maddening, too fast to follow, making fools of footballers. Barcelona’s sporting director, Robert Fernández, called himmagical.

“He is probably the most in-form attacker in the league, decisive in front of goal and also in their [buildup] play,” the Villarreal manager Marcelino said, having just watched Neymar score a goal he admitted he would have applauded himself had he been a fan rather than a victim.

Receiving the ball deep, Neymar set Suárez away on the left and set off himself. When the ball came to him he flicked it up in the air and over Jaume Costa, sending it spinning, slowly, smoothly one way while he span the other, just as smoothly and just as slowly. His movement mirrored that of the ball and was almost gentle, face turned away, as if they were dancers performing a turn, travelling a figure of eight, destined to meet in the middle, arriving there together. When they did, he volleyed the third.

“I have no idea how he did it,” Gerard Piqué said. “If I tried that, I would fall over.” It was Neymar’s eighth goal in nine games, the 16th league match in a row that he or Suárez had scored in, the last before the Bernabéu and before Messi rejoined a team delighted if no longer desperate to have him back. No wonder they were getting excited. “The clásico really turns me on,” Piqué said.

Unfair comparisons

First of all, let’s backtrack so I can flesh out the 140 characters Twitter restricts me to. Comparing him to a number of the World’s greats having had no exposure to the European game is absurd. Just last season he was playing in the Brazilian Serie A and although some of the World’s best began here, all ultimately moved to test themselves against the world’s elite – Europe. And that’s the reason the jury’s still out.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he lined up against England in both friendlies this year, despite displaying glimpses in the latter, he wasted too many opportunities and held onto the ball far too long. Prior to this, I’d seen some of his impressive individual goals, but again, until he could prove his worth against sterner opposition, I wasn’t buying all these cries of ‘the next Pele’. It just didn’t add up.

A fair argument

A couple of weeks back, a friend and I from Prozone endured an intense conversation regarding the matter. He reluctantly agreed with my stance on Neymar pre-Confederations Cup, but struggled to grasp why I still wasn’t convinced, despite scoring a few decent goals and finally showing some worth again Spain. I told him, just like I mentioned on Twitter ‘if he makes me eat my own words, so be it’. And that’s when he decided to dig around for data on Neymar, he was adamant he’d provide a fair argument in Neymar’s favour. And I welcomed this.

The hard facts

When analysing a player or club, comparing them like-for-like is the simplest method. However, as Neymar played in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, we first need to understand how the league compares to Champions League average. The benefit of comparing him against the Champions League as opposed to La Liga – where he’ll be playing this next season – allows us determine the standard across Europe’s best. As ultimately, this is where he’ll be intensely scrutinised.

Prozone told me:

Passing style: the data paints a picture of a marginally more considered approach by teams in the Champions League compared to the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A. Fewer passes are directed forwards, resulting in a higher pass success % and more individual possessions per game.

Possession outputs: there is a – perhaps surprisingly – a general tendency for more crosses in Brazil and fewer dribbles. However, dribble success is higher in the Serie A

Goal production: Despite the different styles of play, both achieve similar levels of shots per game. The quality of chances is slightly higher in the Champions League (more shots inside the box) and more goals result from open play scenarios.

Upon reflection, with the exception of passes and individual possessions, there’s doesn’t appear to be much variance between the Brazilian Serie A and Champions League average. However, it could be argued that Neymar may have to adapt to a slightly slower style of play, as a result of a more considered approach play, but he may enjoy more clear-cut opportunities to score. And with 54 goals in 103 appearances for Santos to his name, I can begin to build a clearer understanding of how he fits in with Barca’s setup. Although the data clearly compares playing outposts, it’s difficult to analyse and compare overall playing quality. So whilst he’s impressed on an individual level, standard is ultimately better in Europe.

The player

Prozone helped me understand the comparisons between of the Brazilian league and Champions League, we’ll now do the same the player and the Champions League average.


Prozone told me:

Shooting: Neymar had an outstanding season in 2012, outshooting and outscoring the average UCL attacker. Even when using comparable opportunities – shots inside the box – Neymar is shown to be a deadly attacker.

Possession: Neymar surprisingly takes on defenders less regularly than the UCL average, but enjoys ample time in possession with 3 touches on average in possession. He may have less time on the ball in the Champions League.

Distribution: Neymar’s lower pass completion is largely explained by the fact he plays more difficult forward passes more regularly.

The data not only supports Prozone’s initial quest to provide a fair argument in favour of Neymar, but it helps me better understand why the hype surrounding the Brazilian exists. It’s clear he’s enjoyed plenty of success in Brazil and whilst you’d argue the overall quality of the Champions League vs Campeonato Brasileiro Série A is greater, his outputs suggest he is significantly above average.

There’s no denying the data helps propel Neymar in a positive light, he’s a proven goal scorer in Brazil, and he also bagged a few decent goals during the Confederations Cup, none more memorable than the one against Spain. He was also instrumental in Fred’s winner against Uraguay in the semi’s, it seems Brazil has become somewhat reliant on him. However, on the few occasions I’ve seen him, he’s been particular underwhelming and others around me agree. For that reason, the publicity surrounding him seems overhyped. He’s shown impressive glimpses during the Confederations Cup against varied competition, but nowhere near enough consistency or quality as the two other current footballing greats; Messi or Ronaldo.

I can’t really argue with the data provided, as it helps me understand the type of player he is and what can be expected from him, but he’ll ultimately face the real test in Europe next season. There’s also the small matter of pairing him up with Messi. Although the data suggests he dribbles less than the Champions League average, like Messi, he enjoys carrying the ball and this could well affect Barca’s tip-tap playing style. But you’d expect Barca to have analysed this before splashing out £48.6m.

Ultimately any player that receives such media attention, signs for one of the biggest clubs in the World and carries such a hefty price tag deserves to be scruntinised. And whilst the data helps supports the headlines he’s received, until he proves himself for Barca and in Europe, then I’m still unconvinced.

Last week the 42-year-old had claimed: "I can bring Neymar to Real Madrid.

"He is still very young and I am sure next year he will finish even higher in the Ballon d'Or."

Carlos is currently spending time in the Spanish capital where he is watching Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid team up close and personal, but he has played down rumours of an immediate move on to the club’s coaching staff.

"I’m happy that Madrid may be interested in giving me a job, but I am only here to watch the squad training and to learn,” he added.

“I am about to start my top level coaching studies. I’ve already spent five years coaching in Turkey, Russia and India.

“But I’ve got a lot to learn and I need to take things one step at a time.”

1. He Scored His 100th Professional Goal on His 20th Birthday

Neymar Jr. with his real name Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil on February 5, 1992. He is the son of Neymar, a former professional Brazilian soccer player, and followed his father’s legacy. He joined Santos FC through the youth system at the age of 11. He continued playing for that club at professional levels till his recent transfer to Barcelona. One of his marvelous shot won FIFA Goal of the Year in 2011, and on the same year he also led Santos FC to its first Copa Libertadores in last 48 years. Neymar completed his 100th goal as a professional football player on his 20th birthday on February, 2012. This achievement came while playing against Palmeiras in the Campeonato Paulista.

2. He Nearly Joined Real Madrid

As a child prodigy, his skills were spread as far as Europe. His agent, Wagner Ribeiro, who is introduced to him by Betinho, another well-respected agent, was first brought the offer to play for Real Madrid to him. Real Madrid primarily selected him, after Wagner’s pitching of his CV to them. Neymar visited Europe for the final selection session and stayed for 19 days in the training camp in Spain when he was just 14 years old. He scored 27 goals in various training sessions during those 19 days. Real Madrid was so impressed by him that they wanted to sign him, as soon as possible. Then, his former club Santos FC came into the scenario and offered him a handsome amount of money so that he could stay in the squad of his own team.

3. He Is the Only Brazilian Athlete to Be on the Cover of TIME Magazine

His agent and his beloved father revealed On 25 April 2013 that Neymar would leave before the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Europe, leaving his former team Santos FC. On 26 May, he played the last match for Santos against Flamengo. 2013 was a successful year for him. Along with his rising popularity, he was also selected for the cover of the Time magazine. His cover edition was published in February 2013, and the issue included an article titled, “The Next Pelé” and subtitled “How the career of Brazilian football star Neymar explains his country’s economy.” He is the only Brazilian athlete to receive this honor in history.

4. West Ham Was the First Club to Make a Bid for him

After his success was widely admired in Brazilian football league, Chelsea is the first club who tracked Neymar and gave him an amazing offer for his transfer, back in 2008. The Blues tried to convince him for the transfer for about two long years. But they were in difficulty to meet his asking price for it. West Ham is the first club which officially bid for Neymar in 2010, when he was just 18 years old. West Ham offered him an astonishing contract price of €16 million. That is also a record for West Ham’s history of transfer, as they paid the highest amount till bidding for Neymar to Craig Bellamy which is €7.5 million.

5. He Is the World’s Most Marketable Athlete

Neymar, the Brazilian prodigy, is the most marketable sportsperson in the world. He achieved the top rank in the list of 50 Most Marketable Athletes by SportsPro magazine. He defeated stars like Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt and racing champion Lewis Hamilton, while reaching the top position to be the most marketable athlete. SportsPro editor-in-chief, David Cushnan, said “Essentially the crux of it is we are trying to predict marketing value over the next three years. We’re trying to forecast who is going to be worth investing from a sponsorship point of view but also who perhaps offers real value for money.”

6. He became a father at just 19 years of age

Before he dated the Brazilian actress BrunaMarquezine for a year, he was engaged with Carolina Dantas. He had a baby boy with Carolina when he was just 19. His son, David Lucca da Silva was born on August 24, 2011 in São Paulo. After his son’s birth, Neymar said that his baby is a “2.8 kilograms of pure happiness” and also said to the media, “Mother and baby are in good condition just after childbirth.” Remembering the joy he got when he became father, he stated “I cried when I learned that I would be his father. At first, I felt fear. Then joy. It is a new responsibility and I am now enjoying it.”

7. His own comic book

Many Brazilian footballers like Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have already been adapted in famous cartoon series. Neymar also joined the league when he tied up with famous Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa. Leading Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio released a Monica’s Gang comic in April 2013, featuring a baby version of Neymar, named Neymar Jr. in the cartoon, as the main character. He was portrayed as a child with a group of his football-lover friends. The first issue was named “A boy with talent” where Neymar showed up with his unique known Mohawk hair style. Along with his adult fans, he also became popular among kids for this comic strip.

8. His ownership

As his first and only club before he started playing in European leagues, Santos FC was supposed to hold the full ownership rights of Neymar. But interestingly, the club did not hold the full ownership and included three separate entities. Santos FC holds 50 percent of ownership rights. An investment partner of Santos FC, DIS Group bought 40% ownership rights from Neymar’s family back in 2009. His club also sold 5 percent shares on future transfer fees received for Neymar to Terceira Estrela Investimentos S.A, an investment group, for $3,549,900 on 30 November 2010. No matter who has his ownership right, this prodigy is a beauty on the field for Barca and his national team.

9. His international career

Neymar was neglected by the Brazilian national football team during 2010 World Cup football, despite his immense talent with the ball. Many big football stars like Pelé and Romário had a direct conversation with team manager Dunga to recruit him in the national team for World Cup. Even after a petition signed by 14,000 fans reached Dunga, requesting him to include Neymar, he didn’t respond. Neymar was not even on the stand-by list for that World Cup. Under the new manager Mano Menezes, he made his debut in a friendly match against the United States on August, 2010. He also scored in his debut match for his national team.

10. He is a pop icon

Neymar is an icon in promoting Brazilian modern pop music. He is particularly attracted to MúsicaSertaneja. It made a huge sensation on the media when he danced with his teammates in the locker room of Santos FC to the tune of “Ai se eutepego!” by Michel Teló. That song also reached No. 1 position in 15 different countries and became the first No. 1 in Portuguese song on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart. In April, 2014, he also revealed that he would collaborate with pop sensations One Direction for a new video of their song. He told the CNN, “I like One Direction, they’re an excellent band.”

At his age of 22 years, he has already become a superstar in football. With Neymar’s worldwide popularity, he is also the 4th highest paid footballer after CR7, Leo Messi and Ibrahimovic. Along with his $12 million salary from Barcelona, he also gets huge endorsement fees of $16 million in total from Nike, Castrol, Panasonic, L’Oreal, Volkswagen and many other. For his amazing dribbling skill and ball control Ronaldinho once stated, “He will be the best in the world.”

Note: Please comment below if you know any interesting Fact about Neymar, and want to include in the article, we will include that with thanks.

Child Prodigy

Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. was born on February 5, 1992, in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Brazil. The son of a former professional soccer player, Neymar followed in his father's footsteps by playing street games and futsal, an indoor version of the game. He joined the Portuguesa Santista youth club in 1999, and within a few years was one of the most highly regarded young talents in the country.

Rising Star

Neymar joined the youth system of Santos FC at age 11. News of his abilities spread to Europe, and he was offered the chance to continue his development with Real Madrid C.F. at age 14, but the Santos team's management reportedly convinced Neymar to stay put with a large bonus.

Neymar made his senior debut for Santos in 2009 and lived up to the hype by earning the league's Best Young Player award. He emerged as a full-blown star in 2010, helping Santos claim the league and Copa do Brasil championships en route to the first of three straight scoring titles and four straight Player of the Year awards. That season he also made his debut for the senior national team and debuted a Mohawk-style haircut, which quickly became popular among younger fans.

In 2011, the flashy forward produced what would be voted the FIFA Goal of the Year and led Santos to its first Copa Libertadores championship in 48 years. However, he also began to experience the backlash that accompanies fame. Neymar was criticized for his play during Brazil's quarterfinals loss in the 2011 Copa America tournament, and was scolded in the media for fathering a child out of wedlock.

Neymar scored his 100th professional goal on his 20th birthday in 2012 and finished the year with a career-best total of 43. Although Santos won its third straight league title, the young star again was subject to criticism when Brazil lost the 2012 Summer Olympics gold-medal game to an underdog Mexico team.

Changing Horizons

In May 2013, Neymar announced he was making the leap to Europe with a transfer to FC Barcelona, a powerful club that featured superstar Argentine striker Lionel Messi and several members of the Spanish national team.

Soon afterward, the wunderkind silenced a share of his critics by leading Brazil to victory in the 2013 Confederations Cup, indicating his readiness to shoulder bigger expectations on the world stage.

2014 World Cup Injury

Neymar's performance shined in the 2014 World Cup on his home turf of Brazil, but was cut short before the finals. On July 4, 2014, minutes before Brazil won its quarter-final match against Colombia, Neymar was carried from the field in a stretcher in tears of agony after breaking a bone in his back resulting from a challenge by Colombia’s defender Juan Zuniga. Reports have indicated the injury will take weeks to heal and the athlete will be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament. Brazil's hope for the World Cup title was dashed when they lost their next semifinal match to Germany 7-1.