La Liga 2016/17: Neymar makes the day of a Sporting Gijon fan suffering from Down's Syndrome
Barcelona returned to winning ways on Saturday after defeating Sporting Gijon by 5-0. Despite being the away side, they made light work of the Asturian's defence, even without star player Lionel Messi.
While Neymar annoyed the home fans with his fantastic skills and the two goals he scored in the match, it was his gesture at the end of the game which won the hearts of not only the home crowd but everyone across the globe.
Also Read: Sporting Gijon 0-5 Barcelona: Five Talking Points
After the match, the Brazilian star seemed out of his zone. He was wandering around, shaking hands of opposing players, but his eyes were set on the stand for people with disabilities. It was evident that he was looking for someone.
In a flash, he took his shirt off and jogged towards the section and found the person he was looking for.
The Brazilian jumped over the barricade and handed his jersey to the young supporter, who could barely contain his excitement. 22-year-old Sergio Gonzalez had not only just met his idol and received his jersey, but he also managed to share a heart-warming embrace with the Barcelona striker, while crying in tears of joy.
Also Read: La Liga 2016-17: Sporting 0-5 Barcelona - Player ratings
Gonzalez, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, later told the Spanish media about how this entire incident unfolded. At the half time break, Neymar looked at the section where Gonzalez was sitting and signaled at Neymar to swap jerseys, to which the striker responded with a thumbs up.
After the game, Neymar kept his word and approached the fan to fulfill his promise.
In doing so, he became the second high-profile player this weekend to give his jersey to a fan. Following Arsenal’s 3-0 win over against Chelsea in the London derby, the Gunners playmaker Mesut Ozil walked to the stand and threw his jersey to one lucky supporter, who needless to say, was astonished.
Barca cruise to victory
The 24-year-old has already scored three goals and one assist to his name in the league
This match also proved that the Catalans are capable of performing in the absence of Lionel Messi, who will be out for the coming few weeks.
With Luis Suarez and Neymar in such great form, the Argentinian can certainly afford to take this time to recover well.