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French Ligue1

NEYMAR AND DANI ALVES CAUSING SPLITS INSIDE PSG DRESSING ROOM

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Despite leading Paris Saint Germain to what looks its most impressive run in recent time, the signing of Brazilian, Neymar is also a pain for the club.

The Brazilian transferred in a world record fee at the beginning of the season, but his overwhelming influence is causing a big rift in the club’s dressing room and even the club manager, Unai Umery is under threat.

According to a sports publication in Portugal, O Jogo, Neymar and fellow Brazilian Dani Alves who also joined the club and the beginning of the season, are generating a rift inside the club’s dressing room after taking control behind the scenes.

The UK Daily Mail also added that most of the longer serving players in PSG are not happy with the Brazilian duo.

“Despite sitting nine points clear at the top of Ligue 1 it appears that all is not well at the Parc des Princes at the halfway stage of the season”, writes Daily Mail.

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Neymar and Alves have appointed themselves as the main men of the dressing room and are acting as ‘the bosses’ of the first-team squad.

Their actions have been reportedly viewed as ‘disrespectful’ by some, though relations within the squad remain ‘cordial, but far from a friendship’.

They go on to claim that the ‘cold’ relationship between coach Unai Emery and some of the senior players could lead to his departure at the end of the season.

Brazilian team-mates Neymar and Alves were both summer arrivals as the French giants attempted to wrestle back the Ligue 1 title from Monaco.

Neymar became the most expensive player in world football when PSG paid his £196m release clause, while Alves joined on a free transfer after a successful season at Juventus.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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French Ligue1

FIFA CLEARS PSG OVER NEYMAR

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Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly free from UEFA’s spotlight when it comes to the high profile summer transfers of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, after European football’s governing body deemed both deals “satisfactory” in regards to FFP.

​    Neymar arrived in a hugely controversial €222m deal from Barcelona, leading to various accusations over FFP breaches to complete the world record move.

PSG then additionally sealed the signing of Mbappe from Monaco, on an initial loan deal with an obligation to sign the youngster €180m at the end of the season.

Many questioned how the French side, who cannot compete with the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich in terms of annual revenue, could afford to buy such players while keeping in line with UEFA’s rules.

However, a report originally from L’Equipe and later independently verified by ESPN, has claimed that UEFA are now ‘satisfied both players were acquired in the correct manner’, he said.

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UEFA had been looking into the manner in which PSG prised both Neymar and Mbappe from their respective clubs, with ESPN noting that the ‘origin of funds’ are ‘no longer under suspicion’.

That does not mean that the Ligue 1 leaders are completely out of the woods yet, though. ESPN further explains that they still need to find €75m to make up a deficit and must also convince UEFA of the ‘validity of their accounts’, particularly where sponsorship deals are concerned.

Scraping together the €75m could well come from player sales. Lucas Moura is certainly one individual that has deemed surplus to requirements and is being heavily linked with a move this month. Several others would undoubtedly have to follow Lucas out the door in order to make up the deficit.

 

 

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French Ligue1

‘ARAB WAR’ AS PSG TARGETS GUARDIOLA

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Big spenders, Paris Saint Germain, after the record signing of Brazilian Neymar from Barcelona, are planning to acquire yet another big personality linked to the club.  This time around, it is Pep Guardiola, the former Barca boss who still has 16 months remaining on his current £15million a-year contract with the Premier League leaders, Manchester City.

PSG owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI). Manchester City is under another Arab firm, Abu Dhabi United Group. The two firms are from Arab nations that are bitter political and commercial rivals, who severed diplomatic ties with each other last year.

Luring Guardiola to PSG would be a massive coup for the Qataris.

Even though City has promised to revise and extend that deal, PSG still believe they will eventually get their man by making it clear they will offer a spectacular new opportunity for Guardiola and his family in France.

The club that paid a world-record shattering £199m for Neymar from Barcelona earlier this season accept they may have to play a long game to get Guardiola.

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But they are boosted by the fact that in his two coaching roles so far, Guardiola spent four years in charge at Barcelona and just three years at Bayern Munich.

At both clubs he refused repeated offers to sign extended deals, saying he was ready to take on a new challenge and ultimately chose to walk away.

Guardiola’s close relationship at City with his old Barca allies, director of football Txiiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano will give the Mancunians confidence that he will stay. But inside City there have been whispers for weeks that PSG won’t go away.

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French Ligue1

NEYMAR EYEING A SWITH TO REAL MADRID

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The rumours are getting louder that Paris Saint Germain ace, Neymar is getting restless of continued stay in the French capital and eyeing a possible return to Spain.

The first speculations had it that he was considering a return to FC Barcelona and had enquired from his former teammates if he would be accepted back.

But the current rumours have it that he is likely to make a stunning summer switch to the rival La Liga side, Real Madrid.

The speculations got stronger with the reported dinner his father had with Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez. It is widely believed that Neymar is unhappy in France, and will look to push for a move away from Ligue 1 at the end of his first season with the club.

Spanish publication, Diaro Gol, quoting the UK Daily Mirror, reported that Neymar’s father met with the Real Madrid’s president to discuss a potential move back to Spain for his son – who joined PSG from Barcelona last summer for a world record smashing €222m.

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It is believed that this fee would have to be broken again for Real to sign Neymar, with a fee of around €250m likely to convince PSG to relinquish their star.

While Neymar’s father may be pushing to force a move through this summer, it is likely that the 25-year-old will have to wait until at least 2019 to leave the club.

Despite his apparent unrest in the French capital, Neymar has been in formidable form for his new side – contributing 15 goals and nine assists in 18 matches for Les Rouge-et-Bleu.

Neymar has certainly flourished in Ligue 1, where he has effectively stepped out of Lionel Messi’s immense shadow at Barcelona and taken on the role of the star player for Unai Emery’s side.

However, the culture shift appears to have unsettled the player, and a move back to La Liga seems inevitable for the former Champions League winner.

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