At Santos football club in Brazil where Neymar jnr plies his trade now, he had an exclusive interview with sports journalists where he shared some inside stories on his journey in football from winning the PUSKAS AWARD for scoring a sublime solo goal on the 27th of July 2011 against Flamengo. He also talked about his relationship with Messi and Suarez in their famous MSN who broke loads of records.
The interview is in two phases where he talked about his choice of Barcelona, his meeting with Pep Guardiola and his approach by Real Madrid.
ABOUT PEP
Neymar: “Pep Guardiola told me: I want to sign you and bring you with me, to whatever club I go to… 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝”.
“He shows me a paper, opens his laptop, tells me where I’d play… Pep also told me: 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝟔𝟎 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞”.
“I was saying… okay, but what team? Pep said: I can’t tell you yet because it’s not out yet. I convinced him, he said: I’m signing with Bayern. I know it’s a cold city but I will take care of you, don’t worry Ney”.
“In the end, I decided to join Barcelona as my club because of the love I have for the team.
“𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐧… and it was because of Pep Guardiola”, reveals Neymar
“After I won the Puskás Award, my dad kept calling me at 2AM. I answered and he told me to open the door…”.
“I was in boxers! It was my dad, 𝐏𝐞𝐩 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐚 and the translator all together on a call to open talks with me”.
ABOUT MESSI
About Messi recalled Neymar: “I remember one day after training when Messi came to me asking to help with penalties… And I was like nah!! BRO, YOU CRAZY? YOU ARE LEO MESSI!?! You should school me on theses things and we both laughed and in humility Messi told me he is serious about it and we did drills together which brought us closer because of his humility even in his status in the game as at then”.
“I told him: take penalties like that and it’s goal”. “My penalties are NOT pre determined, I decide during the shot… it’s my strategy”.
“If I’m fully concentrated I can score 10/10 penalties. I’ll miss if I’m not focused or lose concentration, and ones I miss it’s a disastrous kind”.
About Madrid Neymar said : Neymar: “I had A LOT of offers… but the two bids that caught my attention were Barcelona and also Real Madrid”.
Neymar: “Real Madrid made me a CRAZY, TOP OFFER. It was a blank cheque, they told me I can have… WHATEVER I want”.
“I would’ve made 3x more money and Florentino Perez always liked me”.
“But I went with my HEART. Ronaldinho played at Barcelona and also I wanted to play with MESSI”.
ABOUT FAME
Neymar: “I knew I was really FAMOUS when I went to the mall to buy an iPod…”.
“I came in took a picture with a kid, with a girl, then I went into the storez I was in there for a bit & then when I turned around the entrance was PACKED with people”.
“They had to CLOSE the doors & I had to leave from the other side. I was alone too”.
OLYMPICO GOAL
Neymar: “The Olimpico goal was on purpose”.
“I was thinking to myself: Man, if I score this goal… their FANS gunna SEE”.
“I scored and so then I turned around to them like… WELL GUYS, NOW WHAT?!”.
ABOUT REFEREE
Neymar on referees: “I was also targeted in football, because of my profile. Already in the Campeonato Paulista, I have suffered the MOST FOULS in the competition”.
“That’s my style, hold the ball, dribble, take risks. I won’t be normal. That’s why I suffer a lot of fouls”.
Neymar: “I believe my PRIME was at PSG… because that’s where I became a better player”.
ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD
Neymar: “When I was young, I knew I was DIFFERENT. At 7-8 years old… I remember I scored my 10th goal, I got MAD they subbed me off”.
“They said it was TOO EASY FOR ME, that I had to play with older players”.
Neymar on the Remontada:
“My friends kept saying PSG are too good… I told them, you guys, don’t TRUST me? I’m going to WIN this crazy game and turn the tide around”.
“During the warm ups Messi said he was going to score. I told him I’m scoring two, Suárez said I’m scoring one too. I told them we’re good then”.
ABOUT OTHER CELEBRITIES
Neymar: “Only three people made me star struck & nervous: Didi, Michael Jordan & Steph Curry, they had great character and I actually learnt a lot from their persona”.
