Injury, cruise and contract termination: Neymar’s uncertain future in Saudi Arabia

While recovering from his torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee suffered in a South American Qualifying duel against Uruguay, Neymar is going through a strange situation in Saudi Arabiawhere some assure their departure from Al Hilal and others claim the opposite.

The whole novel began this Thursday, when the journalist Muhammad Al-Kaabiwho has 648 thousand followers on his personal X account (previously called Twitter), assured that the 31-year-old Brazilian star was terminating his contract with the Saudi team. “Club Al Hilal terminates Neymar’s contract,” he wrote.

From this, the soccer public went crazy, dreaming of Ney’s return to Barcelona or imagining a possible reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. However, Upon learning of the supposed scoop, the club itself took charge of calming the waters and clarifying the strange situation.

The version of the institution founded 66 years ago was forceful: As the Rio attacker will recover for the 2024/25 season, they have decided to release the foreigner’s spot that he occupied in the Pro Saudi League and occupy it with his compatriot Renan Lodia 25-year-old left back who has become the team’s new reinforcement in exchange for 23 million euros.

A few minutes after launching the controversial scoop, the Arab communicator himself launched another tweet that clarified the misunderstanding.: “It was agreed to terminate Neymar’s contract and sign him a one-season contract starting at the beginning of next season to remove his name from the team list to register Lodi.”

Many stars have landed in clubs in Saudi Arabia due to the millionaire amounts of money offered by the sheikhs themselves. However, Due to the low level of football or a terrible adaptation, several of them already want to pack their bags to return to the Old Continent.

The first to leave was Jordan Henderson, 33-year-old British midfielder who left Al Ettifaq after playing 19 games and became a new player for Ajax Amsterdam. In addition, there are two other footballers who would also like to make a comeback: the French Karim Benzema at Al-Ittihad and the Brazilian Roberto Firmino at Al-Ahli.

“Neymar has more passion for other things and puts those other things, which is his private life, first. But as a player he is fabulous. And as a man I spent a month and a half with him, he positively surprised me in everything,” said the current coach of Al Hilal, who was crowned champion of the 2019 Copa Libertadores on the Flamengo bench.

It is worth remembering that less than a month ago, and accompanied by crutches, he enjoyed a few days at his party on the cruise, which caused a sensation around the world. Beyond having all the club’s permissions to do so, it seems that it did not sit well with his coach, with whom he only shared a few days.

Both met in Al Hilal in only five games last year, before the Brazilian’s injury. Although he still does not have a date to return to the courts, Ney would miss the next Copa América, as confirmed by Rodrigo Lasmar, doctor of the Brazilian team.

In this way, the Brazilian star who has a contract for another year and a half would only play again in mid-2024, so He would also miss the friendly against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on January 29held within the framework of Gerardo Martino’s team’s tour of Saudi Arabia.