Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has criticised former Barcelona and PSG star Neymar for failing to step into the shoes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neymar was regarded as one of the most naturally gifted footballers of his generation and was widely tipped to win multiple Ballon d’Or titles.
However, his trajectory declined after he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017, and he has not returned to the podium since.
Given his persistent injury woes, it is fair to say that the attacker’s best years are now behind him.
Speaking to Poker Firma, Emmanuel Petit said, “I’m a big fan of Neymar’s qualities, he was once such a tremendous player.
“But he hasn’t reached the level that he should’ve. He should’ve been winning the Ballon d’Or and competing with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and taking over after them. You can blame his injuries and his lifestyle, but he didn’t fulfil his potential.
“He had so much quality but issues off the pitch, so I cannot compare him to Rivaldo.
“Rivaldo won the Ballon d’Or, he won the World Cup, he was an unbelievable player and reached the pinnacle because he only focused on his career.
“That is the big difference between Neymar and Rivaldo, Neymar wasn’t focused on only football.”
