"How did Neymar accept that?" - Jerome Rothen says Brazilian has trouble accepting Kylian Mbappe is 'top man' in PSG project
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Jerome Rothen has claimed that superstar Neymar is struggling to accept that forward Kylian Mbappe is at the forefront of the Ligue 1 club and not him.
Mbappe penned a three-year deal at the Parc des Princes earlier this summer. He returned to action in his team's 5-2 win over Montpellier on last weekend and sparked controversy with his attitude on the pitch.
Neymar, who has been in a rich vein of form this season, scored twice against Montpellier, with one coming from the penalty spot. The rivalry between the two teammates reportedly exploded after the Brazilian snubbed the 23-year-old striker from penalty duty.
Kylian Mbappe really had the audacity to ask Neymar to give him the second penalty after he he missed his first one 😐
https://t.co/DxFML8jxqf
Speaking on RMC (via Foot Mercato), Rothen shared his two cents on the brewing rift between Mbappe and Neymar. He said:
"There is a problem within the club compared to everything that has been sold to Kylian so that he can stay. There are things that do not hold true. It's a problem of hierarchy. In my opinion, (Kylian Mbappe) has no problem with Neymar because in no case did he ask that Neymar leave the club."
He continued:
"It is the club that sold him a project where he is at the forefront of this project and that he was without Neymar at the base. How did Neymar accept that; how does he digest it? Apparently, he has trouble digesting and accepting the fact that Kylian is at the top of the project and that he is behind. That's a real problem."
Rothen added:
"If there are ego problems, and I can say that this is the reality, it will be difficult to manage for the staff, not only for Christophe Galtier but also for Luis Campos, Antero Henrique, the president, the club, the Emir, the supporters. It will be complicated; at the first gap, there will be problems between the two."
PSG will next lock horns with Lille in their third Ligue 1 game of the season at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday (August 21).
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PSG set to be hit with fines by UEFA over FFP breach
According to L'Equipe, PSG are set to be hit with fines by UEFA over a Financial Fair Play (FFP) breach. If they fail to improve their financial situation over the next three years, the penalties are expected to become harsher. Marseille have also been notified.
Both PSG and Marseille can opt to contest the decision and file an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to avoid a potential exclusion from the UEFA Champions League.