Jorge Jesus reveals episode with Neymar at Al-Hilal: "You're done"

Jorge Jesus, presented as the new coach of the Portuguese national team, revealed details of his time at Al-Hilal, in Saudi Arabia. He talked about the period in which he trained Neymar and the decision to stop the star, going so far as to say that the attacker was "finished". The statement was made this Friday (10).

The coach's speech occurred while he explained his philosophy that he does not select players based solely on their name. Jorge Jesus stated that he worked with two of the three best players in the world - Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar - and that he did not hesitate to leave the Brazilian on the bench when he considered he was the best for the team.

"The important thing is the athlete's performance. If the athlete is not performing, regardless of the player, if he has to be replaced, he will be, if he doesn't have to be replaced, he won't. The name doesn't count", said Jesus, who added:

"I've already trained the two best players in the world. I'm missing the third, who I'm no longer going to coach, which is Messi. I trained Neymar, I trained (Cristiano) Ronaldo. And one day I said to Neymar: 'you, finish, ok?'. So, whatever I think is best for the team, for the selection, that's how it will be done."

Jorge Jesus and Neymar at Al-Hilal
Neymar worked for a short period with Jorge Jesus at Al-Hilal, in Saudi Arabia. After losing space in the team, the attacking midfielder began negotiations for his return to Brazilian football, later closing with Santos.

Coach Jorge Jesus guides Neymar during the Al-Hilal game - Reproduction/Twitter/Al-Hilal
His stay at the Saudi club was marked by injuries. The player played just seven matches, scoring one goal and providing two assists. Neymar suffered a serious complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, which left him sidelined for much of his time at Al-Hilal.

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Source: CNN