‘I wanted a bigger challenge, and my heart made this decision’
Neymar said on Friday that money was never the motivating factor in his €222 million transfer from Barcelona to Paris St. Germain.
“I wanted a bigger challenge, and my heart made this decision and I followed my heart,” he told reporters at the Parc des Princes stadium. “Money was never my motivation.”
“I want to be happy, and I want my family to be happy. I’m really sad to hear that people think this way. If it was just about money, I could have gone elsewhere.
“Being the most expensive player in the world is not a burden. I weigh 69 kg. I don’t have a burden on me.”
He also denied that he had tired of playing second-fiddle to Lionel Messi at Barcelona. “Its not that I wanted to be the big star at Barcelona,” he said “That’s not what I’m looking for here. I’m looking for a new challenge, new trophies, and this is what motivates me.”
Barcelona, meanwhile, will not pay a €26 million bonus to Neymar for renewing his contract in 2016.
“He hasn’t fulfilled his contract … given that breach we will not pay this renewal bonus,” a spokesman said, also admitting that the club had been left irritated by the Brazilian’s decision to move.
The Express News Rwanda
