Nightmare year for Neymar just got worse

Paris (AFP) – A nightmare year for Brazil’s troubled Neymar just got worse. A new injury has ruled him out of Brazil’s team for the Copa America this month, meaning he has lost the chance to redeem a reputation damaged by controversy on and off the field for club and country.

The Paris Saint-Germain star’s woes include lengthy injury layoffs that reduced his effectiveness on the field, two separate suspensions for insulting a referee and hitting a fan, a million-dollar tax probe and allegations of rape which the player vehemently denies.  

– Howls of derision –

Brazil are knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals by Belgium on July 6. Neymar triggers howls of derision from crowds watching on a big screen in Rio. He is mercilessly mocked on social media for feigning injury after relatively harmless tackles, writhing on the turf in apparent agony.

“I wouldn’t go as far as to say I didn’t want to play again but, I didn’t want to see a ball, or to see any more football played,” the 27-year-old told AFP in July after the disappointment in Russia.

– ‘Sensational’ –

He scores a hat-trick for Paris Saint-Germain in a 6-1 thumping of Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League group stage on October 3, a performance described as “sensational” by coach Thomas Tuchel.

– Ballon d’Or blip –

He fails to make the Ballon d’Or top 10 for the first time since 2013, finishing in 12th place as midfielder Luka Modric takes the award for leading Croatia to the World Cup final.

– Injury blow –

PSG are leading Strasbourg 1-0 on January 23 in the second round of the French Cup when Neymar limps off with a right injury similar to the one he suffered 13 months earlier. His return is set for the Champions League quarter-finals but the Parisians have to face a resurgent Manchester United in the last 16 before then.

– Carnival fun –

Despite still recovering from the metatarsal fracture he’s filmed and photographed dancing at both Salvador and Rio carnivals in early March.

– Referee rage –

Forced to watch in the stands as PSG are knocked out of the Champions League by Manchester United on March 6, Neymar rants at match officials on Instagram. UEFA hand him a three-match ban, ruling him out of PSG’s opening fixtures in next season’s European campaign.

from World Soccer Talk http://bit.ly/2wOAxk9