Neymar has revealed that he cried at half-time within the dressing room at an away sport in opposition to Athletic Bilbao throughout his first season at Barcelona, with the Brazilian struggling to really feel assured on the pitch.
Having joined Barcelona in the summertime of 2013 in a deal price £71.5m, Neymar’s high-profile transfer noticed him select the Blaugrana over Actual Madrid. Regardless of his immense expertise and having change into the face of Brazilian soccer, Neymar was simply 21 years outdated and embarking upon the unknown in Spain.
Come the beginning of December that 12 months, within the fifteenth La Liga sport of the season, Neymar had scored 4 objectives and registered eight assists, having nailed down the left-wing spot in Tata Martino’s facet. That did not cease him from feeling low, although, with team-mates Lionel Messi and Dani Alves stepping in to assist him.
Neymar cried within the dressing room at half-time of a Barcelona sport
“I spent the primary 6 months at Barça with butterflies in my abdomen,” Neymar advised Romario on the latter’s new podcast. “I used to be like… f*ck, I can’t dribble anybody, I can’t get by anybody, I’m doing the whole lot all mistaken.
“There was a day I used to be so upset. It was half-time, in opposition to Athletic Bilbao, and I went into the dressing room pissed at myself. I used to be taking part in so dangerous. I went into the bogs crying on my own considering, ‘What am I doing?’
“Then there was a knock on the door and it was Messi. He requested me, ‘Why are you crying?’ and I mentioned, ‘Nah, I’m good, I’m good.’ Then Dani Alves got here in and Messi mentioned, ‘Settle down, we’re right here that can assist you. We wish you to play your greatest soccer such as you did at Santos, with none strain. When you want something you possibly can depend on me.’
“After that I change into extra assured. Extra excited to play and the whole lot began to go nicely.”
It did not instantly go nicely for Neymar, nevertheless. He suffered separatae ankle and a foot accidents in a while within the season, scored simply 5 extra league objectives and made two extra assists, with Barcelona failing to raise a trophy that time period, too.
The 2014/15 season is when he actually flourished, 39 objectives in 51 video games helped Barcelona get well to win a La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey treble, forming a formidable assault alongside Messi and Luis Suarez.
