The conflict between Brazil star Neymar and his club Riyadh Crescent has escalated again. According to the well-known sports media "Marca" in Spain, Neymar had missed nearly a year due to injury, and the club believed that he had recovered from injury, but was reluctant to return to the game, which has caused strong dissatisfaction from the club and even considered suing FIFA.
In the summer of 2023, Neymar joined Saudi giants Riyadh Crescent on a two-year contract worth a total of 200 million euros. As the third player in world football, Neymar's arrival is seen as an important step for Riyadh Crescent to enhance its international influence and competitive level. Clubs and fans have high hopes for Neymar to lead the team to great results in the domestic league and in Asia.
However, the rosy vision was soon shattered by reality. Soon after joining, Neymar was exempted due to injury, and this truce lasted for nearly a year. For any club, such a high salary in exchange for a player's long absence is undoubtedly a huge financial loss and mental blow.
Riyadh Crescent believes that Neymar's injury has healed and is fully qualified to return, but the player himself has not returned to the team for a long time. This action sparked a backlash from the club, who felt that Neymar lacked professionalism and was irresponsible to the team. The club's hierarchy has even publicly stated that if Neymar continues to refuse to return, they will have to take legal action to report his actions to FIFA.
Since Neymar joined, he has only played five games for Riyadh Crescent. Based on his annual salary of 100 million euros, this equates to an appearance fee of up to 20 million euros per game. Such a figure is an unbearable burden for any club.
Neymar's contract, which was seen as an investment in the club's future, has now become a heavy burden. Riyadh Crescent clearly cannot accept such a status quo and they are asking Neymar to return as soon as possible to contribute to the team, otherwise they will have to take more drastic measures.