Neymar Jr. made headlines during his appearance on the ‘Podpah’ podcast. In this interview, the football star reviewed his career and revealed previously unknown anecdotes to fans. The Brazilian admitted to being tempted by Real Madrid before signing with Barcelona.
“Real Madrid Offered Me a Blank Check”
Neymar Jr., while still an emerging star in Brazilian football, signed for FC Barcelona in 2012. However, the player has admitted that he could have signed for Real Madrid: “I received offers from both. FC Barcelona’s proposal was this, and Real Madrid’s was practically a blank check. Real Madrid said ‘put the figure on the paper and we’ll pay it’ (…) Florentino Pérez always talked to me. He wanted me to play for Real Madrid.” The Brazilian, who ultimately chose the Catalan club, stated that “if I had gone to Real Madrid, I would have earned three times more than at Barcelona.”
Guardiola Wanted Him for Bayern
In the interview, Neymar also acknowledged that Pep Guardiola was very interested in signing him for the German team and even went to see him in Brazil: “I was in my underwear and a t-shirt, I open the door, and there are my father and Guardiola. I went back, put on shorts. My father, Guardiola, and a translator were there. Guardiola sits in my room: ‘I want to take you to the team I’m going to (Bayern Munich). I want you to come with me, come play with me, I’ll make you the best’. The guy opens his laptop and says ‘you’re going to play here, you’re going to do this, if you don’t score 60 goals this year, I’ll change your name’. Then Neymar, who admitted to being close to signing for the German club in 2012, replied: “I said… okay, but which team? Pep told me: ‘I still can’t tell you because it hasn’t been finalized yet’. But I convinced him, and he said: ‘I’m signing with Bayern. I know it’s a cold city but I’ll take care of you’. Ultimately, I decided to sign for Barcelona.”
About His Controversial Playing Style
Neymar’s cheerful style has not been to everyone’s liking, and the player himself is aware of it: “I always try to take risks, I’m always a guy who takes many risks in the game. That’s why I suffer many fouls, that’s why I’ve had many injuries. I always try to have the ball and solve things for my team.” He is also aware of his attitude: “I’m not an angel on the field, I know.” The Santos forward spoke about the ‘hunts’ he suffered in many fields and pointed to those responsible: “The fault for this lies more with the players than with the referees. The players are more irritated with me (because of my playing style) than with Messi and Cristiano.”
Currently, Neymar Jr. has returned to Santos to rediscover the footballer he once was and regain a level that he has lost in recent years due to continuous injuries. Will Neymar be able to be the player he once was again?