Luis Enrique's Brutal Five-Word Remark to Neymar Sealed PSG Exit

Luis Enrique made a brutal remark to Neymar Jr that sealed the Brazilian’s Paris Saint-Germain departure, it has been claimed.

Neymar’s 2017 move from Barcelona to PSG sent ripples across the football world, with the player's £200m transfer fee still the most expensive in the sport’s history.

The Brazilian went on to net 118 times and claim 79 assists in his 173 appearances for the Paris side, before departing in 2023 for an ill-fated injury-hit spell at Al-Hilal.

And according to PSG football adviser Luis Campos, Neymar was encouraged to leave PSG by manager Luis Enrique, who stressed that the attacker did not fit his plans.

Speaking to French outlet RMC Sport, Campos said: "It was Luis Enrique who sat down and said to Neymar: 'It's good that you're leaving.'

“He told him face to face. Because he thinks about football differently. He thinks about playing as a team.

“He thinks that the player who will play is the one who deserves it during the week in training, with total commitment. That's what he's looking for and that's what we gave him."

After playing just seven times in Saudi Arabia upon injuring his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, Neymar returned to his boyhood club Santos in January.

There Neymar has netted six times and registered three assists, but has continued to be plagued by injury issues. Indeed, the 33-year-old left the field in tears after suffering an injury 34 minutes into his first Serie A games of the campaign, before missing five league games with a hamstring problem.

And Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has suggested that Neymar’s place may be at risk for the upcoming World Cup.

Neymar joined Santos in January (Credit:Getty)

Speaking to ESPN, the Italian coach said: "We are not going to observe how Neymar plays, obviously. Everyone knows his talent. In modern football, to take advantage of his talent, the player has to be in good physical condition.

“If he is in his best physical condition, he will have no problems being in the national team. Everyone wants Neymar in the national team in good physical condition. I spoke with him, and I said 'you have time to prepare in the best way to be there and help the team try to do their best in the World Cup.'"

He added: "I spoke with him. He came to the hotel before the game against Paraguay [in June] and we talked about it. [I would select him] as an attacking midfielder or striker. He has to play centrally, he can't play on the outside because modern football needs forwards who have physical quality, it's very important. He can play as an attacking midfielder without problems."