Kaka and Patrice Evra react to Neymar’s incredible unveiling at Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal's most prized asset, Neymar, was finally unveiled on the 19th of August at a packed King Fahd International Stadium. The ceremony was as glamorous as the player, with flashy lighting and flares welcoming the Brazillian to the Saudi Pro League.
The deal set Al-Hilal back a whopping €100m in total, as revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. Neymar took to Instagram to share glimpses of his extravagant presentation, posting his arrival at the stadium as well as his interaction with fans. The 31-year-old footballing genius thanked the fans for such a warm welcome, captioning the post,
"Awesome night just so blessed. Thanks to the Al Hilal audience. Proud to be Hilali."
Former superstars of the game, Kaka and Patrice Evra, congratulated Neymar on his move by commenting on the superstar's Instagram post. Kaka wished his compatriot luck by writing, 'Beautiful, may God bless you a lot in this new adventure'. Evra, on the other hand, expressed his awe of the presentation ceremony by posting three emojis in the Brazillian's comments section.
Despite his arrival, the Al-Hilal fans will have to wait for some time to see their new signing in action. As confirmed by manager Jorge Jesus, Neymar is currently recovering from a minor injury, and his return date is yet to be decided. Addressing a press conference, the Portuguese coach revealed (via Marca),
"He has a minor injury that will prevent him from participating in training for the next few days.
"The duration of his absence has not been determined yet, and I don't know why he was called up by the national team."
Neymar admitted it was Cristiano Ronaldo who started the Saudi trend
Apart from the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Neymar's move to the Middle East is easily the most high-profile transfer conducted by any SPL club. And the former Barcelona winger believes that it was Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr that opened the floodgates for other European superstars to sign for Saudi clubs.
Talking to Al Hilal's club channel, the Brazillian international stated,
"I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him 'crazy', and this and that, today you see the league more and more.
"The league will be very competitive, especially after the signings made in this summer transfer window."
Al-Hilal have truly assembled a side to be reckoned with, recruiting the likes of Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Malcom, Yassine Bounou and most recently, Premier League stalwart Aleksandar Mitrović.
Having finished third in the league last season, Al-Hilal would hope to build a formidable title charge, especially after fabricating such a star-studded squad.