Initially, Jesus was very critical of Neymar, suggesting that he was no longer capable of playing at the top level. Neymar didn’t take kindly to these remarks and soon made a move to terminate his contract with Al-Hilal. He then rejoined his childhood club, Santos, in Brazil. Once back in Brazil, Neymar didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment about how he was treated by Jesus.
Neymar’s transfer to Al-Hilal in 2023 had been one of the most talked-about moves in football, with the Saudi club paying $93 million to sign him from Paris Saint-Germain. However, his time at Al-Hilal turned out to be a disaster, as injuries marred his stay. After playing just five matches, he suffered a severe ACL tear, which kept him out for the rest of the season. When he tried to make a comeback, another injury put him on the sidelines again.
Neymar openly criticised Jesus, claiming that despite being fully fit, he wasn’t given the opportunity to play. In an interview with Caze TV, Neymar said: “I was really upset with Jorge Jesus’ comments when he said I wasn’t in the same condition as the rest of the team. “In training, I showed I was fit to play, in the same condition as the others. During group training, I was the one scoring goals.
After Neymar’s public criticism, Jesus changed his tune, which seemed like a joke to many. “I had no luck, neither he nor I. He had a serious injury at Al-Hilal. But he was the best player I’ve ever worked with as a coach. We didn’t have enough time to showcase everything he had. A good professional, a good friend”.
“Best player I have trained”, Jorge Jesus changes his criticism to praise.
