Since arriving at Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, Ligue 1 has failed to protect Neymar Jr., who is the target of questionable and, at times, dirty fouls.
The fouls on the 28-year-old don’t surprise any capital club supporter at this point. Earlier this year, Le Parisien published a piece where they stated that Les Parisiens are the least fouled squad, but Neymar is the most fouled player in Ligue 1.
Not much has changed since. For the 2020-21 Ligue 1 season, the Brazil international is averaging 4.4 fouls on him per match, according to SofaScore.
In the past, PSG has complained to the league about the lack of protection for Neymar in France. Former sporting director Antero Henrique wrote a letter to the head of French referees, but nothing has changed.
Much like PSG supporters, Neymar’s father, Neymar Santos Sr., has had enough of this treatment that his son receives. In a post on Instagram, capital club forward’s father vented his frustration after Neymar’s latest injury due to a dirty tackle from Olympique Lyonnais’ Thiago Mendes.
“Until when? We have talked so much about that. We have so emphasized this excess of violence! Why not stop it at the start, at the first fault? Why wait for the 7th, 8th, 9th? Do you need to check the VAR to see that it’s a red? Do you need VAR to understand that it is a violent act? Does someone have to be hurt to have an honest attitude? A player makes an irresponsible, violent tackle from the side through the physical integrity of another, without any possibility of defense,” Neymar Santos said.
“We do not take the necessary measures throughout the match, during which Neymar suffered from the traditional dozen faults, always violent, which means that we feed this kind of players and this kind of attitude. Let’s keep going, and football will lose a lot. UNTIL THE VICTIM WILL BE FAUTIFY? Depend on who controls the game, who has the opportunity to protect. What can we do? May God take care of you.”
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