In an interview with L’Équipe, Neymar Sr, father and agent of Neymar (33, Santos winger), reflected on his son’s time at Paris Saint-Germain (2017-2023). According to him, the Parisian period represented the pinnacle of the Brazilian international’s career, despite the absence of a Champions League title.
Neymar Sr “His best phase was at PSG”.
“His best phase was at PSG. He just missed out on the Champions League. He was one of the architects of that first final (in 2020). But we were unlucky. Afterwards, the fans felt betrayed and came under our windows. But that can happen. We’ll tell you why we left later (smiles).
Neymar Sr “Nobody can erase what we’ve done for PSG, and Neymar doesn’t want to erase his history with the club”.
It was a beautiful marriage, with crises like all couples, then a separation. It was the same when he left Santos and Barcelona. But did you see how he was received at Santos on his return? If he came back to the Parc, he’d probably be applauded.
In life, you can get married on the spur of the moment. But after a while, the passion wears off. And when you split up, you’re still good friends. I think that’s the case with PSG. Nobody can erase what we’ve done for PSG, and Neymar doesn’t want to erase his history with the club.
Neymar Sr “We were part of this project”.
PSG’s Ldc? I was delighted! I congratulated Nasser (Al-Khelaïfi), a friend. We were part of this project. Nasser knows that we climbed the mountain together. That’s when you see how long it takes to structure a club and find the right formula. They’ve built a new training center, invested in young players and a new staff. Today, all the players want to sign there. Before, they wanted to leave and go to a bigger club.
Neymar’s integration into PSG marked much more than just a record transfer: he was truly part of the club’s transformation project, enabling it to take a decisive step forward on the European and world stage.
Despite injuries and tensions, his passage accelerated PSG’s growth, both in sporting and economic terms. Neymar has brought unprecedented visibility, attracting new sponsors, boosting match attendance and enhancing the club’s appeal to top international players.
His influence has also been felt in the dressing room, where his passion and leadership have helped energize the team and instill a new culture of high standards. Although PSG was not yet fully mature enough to conquer Europe when he arrived, Neymar has nevertheless enabled the club to lay solid foundations for its future development, helping it to make the right structural and strategic choices to establish itself as one of Europe’s leading clubs.
