Neymar Issued Warning By PSG Ultras
Neymar has been warned by the Paris Saint Germain ultras to expect a hostile reception when he makes his first league appearance of the season against Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
Neymar has incurred the wrath of the PSG supporters after he unsuccessfully tried to engineer a return to Barcelona in the summer.
The 27-year-old further fanned the flames when he selected Barcelona’s remarkable UEFA Champions League comeback against PSG in the 2016/2017 season as one of his favorite football memories during an interview in July.
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel has not picked Neymar in any of their first three league games this season, but the Brazilian will be thrust back into action against the Coupe de la Ligue holders on Saturday when Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani will be missing through injury.
Ahead of the game PSG’s ultras have warned Neymar that he faces a fight to win back their affection.
"In a footballing sense, Neymar is one of the greatest players of his generation, but that's far from the most important thing for us today [Saturday]," read a statement from Collectif Ultras Paris ahead of the visit of Strasbourg.
"What we reproach him for is being disrespectful on several occasions towards our club, even to have humiliated it at times.
"He has put in place a disastrous communication strategy to try and force a move to Barcelona, one of our main European rivals, leaving his entourage to speak in his place... except when it comes to discussing his best memories [Neymar citing Barcelona's comeback against PSG as his favourite football moment].
"At a time when he has made no public statement, let alone an apology, he will soon return to the field at the Parc des Princes, and we are legitimately more than sceptical about him playing another season in our jersey.
"The Virage Auteuil, in which the most loyal supporters of the club are grouped [at Parc des Princes], has the duty to show him that all his actions cannot be without consequence.
"Therefore, we invite all the Parisian supporters who have felt hurt at one point or another to show him that he no longer has the right to make mistakes and the path of redemption will be long... very long. It's out of the question that we will penalise the team due to a single player."
