Al-Hilal star Michael has revealed Neymar’s hilarious response to head coach Jorge Jesus offering to teach him how to take penalties.
♦ South American moved to Saudi in 2023
♦ Currently nursing serious knee injury
♦ Head coach is popular among players
WHAT HAPPENED?
Brazilian superstar Neymar has endured a tough time since leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Saudi Arabia, with a serious knee ligament injury keeping him sidelined at present. The 32-year-old forward is, however, always happy to have a laugh and a joke away from the field.
WHAT MICHAEL SAID ABOUT NEYMAR
He left club colleagues in stitches after seeing veteran boss Jesus try to offer advice on the art of penalty taking. Michael has told CNN Esportes of that interaction between his fellow countryman and a Portuguese tactician: “Sometimes Jorge Jesus comes out of his box, and he’s very funny. Nobody can say anything to him because he’s so funny. There are times when he jokes and we say: ‘He’s not the same person who was complaining to us’. Once, the manager said to Neymar: ‘I’m going to teach you how to take penalties’. Neymar had taken a penalty before, I think in a Brazilian team game, and he [Jesus] said he was going to teach him. Neymar took the penalty and said: ‘Do you want to teach the priest how to say mass? I’ll only miss a penalty when I want’, it was all in fun. Whoever was there laughed a lot, he’s very funny, but he always wants to help. You know that grandfather or father who, in his head, understands that he needs to help you with your life and the future? It’s Jorge Jesus!”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Former Sporting and Flamengo boss Jesus returned to Al-Hilal for a second spell in July 2023. Michael added on working with a proven winner: “The ‘old man’ is wonderful! As a coach, we know what he’s like. As a human being, he is incredible. He always wants to win and gives us that motivation to always want and fight to win. On the other hand, he is also like a father, a friend, a brother. He knows how to share this relationship. There are moments when it’s Jorge with the experience of life and everything. Afterwards, he also knows how to reconcile with the coach Jorge Jesus who has to help the players, help the team to win, to work. I was happy to have worked with him a while ago [at Flamengo, in 2020], but God was so good to me that he gave me the opportunity to work with him again, learn more and evolve a lot.”
WHAT NEXT?
Al-Hilal sit at the top of the Saudi Pro League table, 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr after going unbeaten through 24 fixtures in the 2023-24 campaign. It remains to be seen when Neymar, who signed a two-year contract upon his arrival in the Middle East, will be cleared to play again.