Imagine scoring four goals in one game and then being booed off the pitch by your own fans.
That’s exactly what happened to Neymar last night.
PSG did what they tend to do in Ligue 1 with an 8-0 thrashing of Dijon at the Parc des Princes.
Neymar led the charge with a sparkling performance, bagging four goals and providing two assists as he tormented the visitors with his lightning fast feet.
Angel Di Maria scored a brace inside the first 15 minutes, while Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani had to settle for a goal each.
The Uruguayan’s 21st minute header put him level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic as PSG’s all-time top scorer on 156 goals.
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
In the 83rd minute, Cavani won a penalty and immediately the fans started chanted his name in anticipation of him taking the spot-kick and becoming the club’s outright leading scorer.
Buy Neymar was having none of it.
The ex-Barcelona forward grabbed the ball, placed it on the spot, and waved his team-mate away.
Cue loud boos from the home crowd.
Bear in mind that Neymar already had a hat-trick at this point and the result was well beyond doubt at 7-0.
A magnificent solo goal for his hat-trick, in which he dribbled in off the left wing from near the halfway line before finishing from just inside the box, and a trademark free-kick from 20 yards meant he was sure to be praised to the hilt for his performance.
But once again, his ego intervened.
There have already been rumours suggesting Neymar’s ego, and the club’s preferential treatment of their record signing, has irked some of his team-mates.
None more so than Cavani, who has been removed from penalty duty, even when a prestigious record is on the line.
Neymar now has 15 goals and 11 assists in Ligue 1 from 15 games.
But at what cost?
What good is it being the best player in the league if you aren’t even popular among your own fans?
Cavani will become PSG’s greatest ever goalscorer sooner rather than later but it make take Neymar a while longer to win the fans back.
There’s probably a few happy Real Madrid fans out there this morning…
WE’RE GOING TO MISS YOU RONALDINHO:
- Why did Ronaldinho’s Barcelona debut kick off at midnight
- Ronaldinho and Neymar played arguably the best game of football ever
- Ronaldinho once got a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans