Speaking today ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s next Ligue 1 home match against Lille at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, manager Christophe Galtier addressed Neymar’s late-night poker antics which led to a photo of the player in a Parisian MacDonalds in the early hours of Wednesday morning. This came 24 hours following PSG’s loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 first leg and, more specifically, Kylian Mbappé’s post-match comments on “sleeping and eating well” ahead of the second leg in Munich. The following was transcribed by RMC Sport.
“What Kylian said in the mixed zone (about eating and sleeping well) is exactly what he said in the dressing room. I’m not going to associate it with the team’s performance,” said Galtier, then going on to address Neymar’s early-morning poker sessions.
“I’m not going to associate Kylian’s statement with Ney’s picture in a fast-food restaurant,” Galtier said defiantly, “I spoke to Ney, I told him what I thought.”
“He has the right, on his day off, to play poker, which he is passionate about. I told him what I thought about the photo that came out. There’s no need to mix things up.”
According to RMC, the Brazilian playmaker was spotted making two appearances at a poker tournament held by PokerStars (of which Neymar is a brand ambassador) at the Hyatt Regency in Paris. One of the trips being later that evening around 22h30 (10:30pm).
Supporters may feel that their number 10 may not be prioritising the quest for Champions League glory. This comes after France’s star striker asked his teammates to prepare for the second leg saying, “All our players are in good health. That everyone eats well, sleeps well”.
This comes after news this morning that Todd Boehly, the boss of Chelsea, has met with Neymar’s entourage in recent days to discuss the possibilities of the star player joining Chelsea. This news comes amid reports of PSG’s desire to part ways with Neymar, as his latest on-field behavior and inability to perform to his expected level have caused concern.
GFFN | George Boxall