Neymar has claimed that he and former teammate Lionel Messi "lived through hell" during their time together as Paris Saint-Germain players. The fallen Brazilian superstar and the legendary Argentina international both left Parc des Princes this summer after an unsuccessful spell together in France.
Neymar joined Al-Hilal for around $97 million this summer while Messi rejected the Saudi Pro League to sign for Major League Soccer's Inter Miami as a free agent. The 31-year-old told Globo's Esporte Espetacular that he was happy for Messi's success at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year but sad for their shared struggle in Paris.
"I was very happy for the year that he had," said Neymar in an interview that was recorded in June before being broadcast this past weekend. "But at the same time, I was very sad, because he lived both sides of the coin. He went to heaven with the Argentina team, won everything in recent years, and with Paris he lived hell, we lived through hell, both he and I."
Neymar and Messi teamed up to win the UEFA Champions League together with Barcelona back in 2015, but were unable to do the same while reunited as PSG players. The Argentina star has admitted to struggling during his time with the French champions while the Brazilian was hounded out of the club by supporters who grew hostile towards them.
"Leo left in a way that, in soccer terms, he did not deserve to. For everything that he is and everything that he does. Anyone who knows him knows that he is, a guy who trains, who fights, who gets angry if he loses -- it was unfair, in my opinion. Soccer was fair, though, when he won the World Cup -- he deserves to end his career like this."
Messi and Neymar were targeted by irate fans after last season's Champions League round of 16 exit against Bayern Munich with the latter even paid a visit by supporters outside his home. Neymar believes that he and Messi were simply unlucky during their time with the Ligue 1 giants despite their best efforts.
"We get upset, because we are not there for nothing," said Neymar. "We are there to do our best, be champions, and try to make history. That is why we started playing together again, we came together there so we could make history. Unfortunately, we did not manage to make it."
Despite criticism of his conduct and an unenviable injury record during his ill-fated Paris stint, Neymar still hopes to leave a lasting impression on the soccer world.
"I have always been very genuine through my career," he said.
"I have never been afraid of anything and I have always been sincere. I have made several mistakes, but I have always been a guy who wanted to do the right things and in the right way. I want to be remembered as a genuine player who made a difference wherever he went."