Why did Neymar leave Barcelona and joined PSG?

The news shocked the world earlier this month and only time will tell who made the better deal. After a 4-year spell with FC Barcelona, the Brazilian superstar decided to try a new adventure in a different country and in a different league. Paris-Saint Germain welcomed Neymar to the French capital after spending a world-record fee of 222 million euros to bring the 25-year old to the Parc des Princes. With 2 La Liga titles, 3 Copas del Rey, 1 Spanish Supercup, 1 Champions League and 1 FIFA Club World Cup, the Brazilian ace showed determination in leaving his comfort zone and test his skills in a new environment. With his move, one question immediately pops in the mind of every Barça fan: Why?

1. Salary

Well, first and foremost, Neymar is a professional and just like you and me, he’s in this for the money. Some will argue that money isn’t everything in life or that his passion for football should be higher than his desire to become even more richer, but at the end of the day, money did speak louder. The Brazilian idol signed a 5-year contract with PSG and will earn a yearly salary of 30 million euros, around 3 times more what he earned in Barcelona (10 million euros). Certainly the type of figures one could one dream of, even for those who try their luck in Saint Patrick slots or just go gamble in a casino nearby.

2. Spotlight

Ever since he arrived to Barcelona, Neymar has always been in the shadow of his Argentine teammate, Lionel Messi. No matter what he did in these past years, the spotlight has always been on Messi and not on him. For a player who’s ambitious as Neymar is, if he really wanted to have a genuine chance of winning the Ballon d’Or in the upcoming years, staying wasn’t an option anymore all football tips pointed in the same direction…

3. Bad blood with Barça directors

It’s been dragging for a while and ultimately, it also weighed in Neymar‘s decision of leaving Barcelona. The Brazilian player has already stated in public that he had issues with several people in Barcelona‘s directive board and even though we may not know the exact reasons behind it, they were important enough to upset the 25-year old and his father/agent.

4. Brazilian connection

Despite having a great relationship with several players in this Barcelona entourage, Neymar didn’t have that many Brazilian colleagues left in this squad. In PSG, he reunites with Daniel Alves and meets his friends from the Brazilian National Team, Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura and Marquinhos.

5. Comfort zone

Not everyone is capable of leaving their own comfort zone and go after new challenges. Neymar showed his courage by doing so and he even admitted he had settled extremely well in Barcelona over the course of the past 4 years. In Paris and in a different league, the Brazil international will have to start from scratch, but at least he’ll be given the main role in this team.

Sources: cnn.com / espnfc.com