Former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon recently revealed what it is like to play alongside Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Neymar Jr. Buffon made 25 appearances for the Parisians, keeping nine clean sheets.
The Italian shared the dressing room with the Brazilian number 10 as well. Known for his skills and flair, Neymar is truly a unique talent in world football. Buffon recently revealed how he was left stunned on playing with the former Barcelona superstar.
Speaking to Bobo TV, the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner said (via Juventus News 24):
“A show. He’s another of those players that when you play together you say: ‘What the f**k did I see? What am I seeing?’ You really slap yourself. He makes plays, manages to change some situations. He sees things that normal people don’t see. Then he has class, ball dancing. It’s something unique.”
The Brazilian ace joined PSG for a world record transfer fee of €222 million in 2017. He has since made 173 appearances for the French club, scoring 118 goals and providing 77 assists.
The forward, however, has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season after undergoing ankle surgery. He scored 18 goals and provided 17 assists in 29 matches before his injury.
PSG have struggled in Neymar’s absence
Since Neymar got injured during the 4-3 home win against LOSC Lille in February, PSG have lost two out of their five matches.
Manager Christophe Galtier and sporting director Luis Campos have come under fire for the lackluster performances. Galtier recently claimed that injuries have hampered the team in recent weeks.
Former PSG forward, however, slammed that French manager for his comments. Rothen said (via PSG Talk):
“Then you talk about absences, Your midfield Vitinha, Ruiz, Verratti – is there. Up front, he has his magic duo Messi, Mbappe. He has Nuno Mendes on the left. Offensively, okay he had to put Pembele on the right because Hakimi wasn’t there, but you have six players to show us things. And they don’t show us anything.”
He added:
“The only thing they show us, as usual, is to put a little ball to Mbappé from time to time… Christophe and your staff, it’s your fault. If there are so many injured, it’s because you’re not working well. Period. It’s as simple as that. So stop talking to me about injuries.”
With Neymar set to miss the rest of the season, the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe will have to take the responsibility of guiding the side to Ligue 1 glory.