Neymar has exacted savage revenge on Renan Lodi following a harmless prank, with the Brazilian slashing the tyres on his Al-Hilal team-mate’s car.
♦ Superstar forward recovering from injury
♦ Is still present at training centre
♦ Causing chaos behind the scenes
WHAT HAPPENED?
Spirits are running high in the Al-Hilal camp following their Saudi Pro League title triumph. They still have another piece of silverware to chase down, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr set to be faced in the King Cup of Champions final on Friday.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Neymar will play no part in that contest, as he recovers from knee ligament damage, but he remains in and around the Al-Hilal camp. That presence has allowed fellow countryman Lodi to mess with the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward’s trainers.
DID YOU KNOW?
While Lodi’s act of mischief could be considered quite mundane, Neymar has raised the stakes by taking a knife to the tyres of his club colleague – leaving an international team-mate to undergo a Formula 1-style pitstop before leaving training.
WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?
Neymar is clearly enjoying himself off the pitch, as he causes chaos behind the scenes at Al-Hilal, but he has been restricted to just five appearances this season – after suffering a serious injury in October 2023 – and will be hoping to fare better next term, after also sitting out the 2024 Copa America.