This Pique-Neymar interview will bring tears to the eyes of many Barca nostalgics who still cannot understand the Brazilian star’s decision to leave Barcelona for PSG.
Neymar and Gerard Pique when they were teammates. Photo: @diarioas | Twitter
It’s not an easy thing to break into the Paris Saint-Germain midfield as an attack-minded 21-year-old. With a guaranteed front three of Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe balanced by the automatic midfield selections of Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti, there’s only one remaining spot outside of defense for the likes of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Javier Pastore, Thiago Motta and Giovani Lo Celso (the 21-year-old referenced above) to battle for.
Well, happy birthday Kylian Mbappe, ya filthy animal! Today, December 20, Mbappe turns 19. The question of how good he’ll be a few years from now is dwarfed by the immediate: how good is this kid right now? Yes, today’s highlight is from a match against yo-yo club SM Caen, but my word.
Just when you think Kylian Mbappe’s personal brand couldn’t get any doper — what, with him providing us with the second coming of O Fenômeno — he goes and says something like this.
It’s not football’s best kept secret, but Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has confirmed that much like Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa before him, 26-year-old center forward Antoine Griezmann will be allowed to leave the club for “a once in a lifetime chance to play for a certain team.”
Christmas came early for Paris Saint-Germain. So what do you get the club that has money to buy everything? You gift them goals, of course. With über-expensive signings Neymar and Kylian Mbappe not starting, Strasbourg gave PSG two early goals in a 4-2 victory for the Parisians in a League Cup match on Wednesday.
PSG really does not need anyone’s charity. The club that spent half a billion dollars on Neymar, not to mention another absurdly high fee for Mbappe, is doing just fine, thank you.