Rivaldo Exclusive: It won't be a betrayal if Neymar signs for Madrid

Rivaldo
14 August 2019

Will Neymar choose Madrid or Barcelona?

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Betfair Ambassador Rivaldo discusses the latest news surrounding Neymar's potential transfer and looks ahead to Barcelona's season in La Liga and the Champions League.

"I wouldn’t see it as a major failure to lose the La Liga title, as Barcelona have been dominating domestically, and now all their focus should be turned into Champions League success."

There have been many rumours about which of the >clubs negotiating for Neymar - Real Madrid and Barcelona - needs him most now. But Neymar is such a talented player that any team in the world would benefit from having him in their side.

Of course, I would prefer to see him back to Barcelona but if he ends up at Real Madrid it will also be a big move for him. For now, what is clear is the player's desire to leave PSG. With two big Spanish clubs competing for him, he should be even more eager to fly away from Paris.

Neymar must be professional

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If Zinedine Zidane signs Neymar for Real Madrid, I won't see it as a betrayal. Neymar left Barcelona to sign for PSG and now could fly to Madrid, so it's not the same as if he had left Barca for Madrid.

He must also be professional, but I bet that if he has the chance to get back to a place where he was happy before, and where he knows most of the players, he would love to return to Barcelona. But that depends on the offer Barcelona could make for him.

PSG won't accept a lesser offer from Barca just because Neymar prefers to go there. They don't want to lose money and will obviously accept the best offer available.

Vinicius would learn with Neymar

Some people argue that Vinicius will lose his place in the Madrid squad if Neymar arrives, but I don't see it that way. Any young player would learn a lot from playing with Neymar and it could help the young Brazilian's career.

It doesn't make sense for Vincius to consider moving to another club to play more often. Instead, he must continue working and learning each day, waiting for opportunities to prove his value.

Barça must focus on Champions League

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Barcelona start their La Liga campaign this Friday with a trip to Athletic Bilbao's San Mamés stadium, but I'm convinced they are ready to give a nice response, despite not being yet at 100%.

Lionel Messi might not play because of an injury, but the club signed important players like Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong and I expect a good performance from the team.

Barcelona's focus this season should be the Champions League, which is the trophy that club and fans are fighting for in the last few seasons. Of course, they won't simply give up La Liga and deliver it to their rivals, but I think that Ernesto Valverde should give more chances to substitutes and youngsters from La Masia in some La Liga matches.

I wouldn't see it as a major failure to lose the La Liga title, as Barcelona have been dominating domestically, and now all their focus should be turned into Champions League success.

La Liga is important but Barcelona's main goal this season as to be Champions League as it is a much important title they are chasing for a while now.

Atlético could take advantage

With Barcelona potentially focusing on Champions League and unconcerned with La Liga football, and Real Madrid on a rebuilding phase, Atletico Madrid might have a chance to surprise this season and even win La Liga - a big bet at 17.016/1.

Nowadays, they are competing with Barcelona and Real Madrid, so you must consider that Diego Simeone's troops have a serious chance in all competitions. They enjoyed a good preseason and start the league with lots of confidence.

Eden Hazard ready to lead Real Madrid

A good player representing a big club always knows how to deal with the pressure, and Eden Hazard comes from a club in which he was the leader and responsible for making the difference in tough situations.

He is adapting to life at Real Madrid and still looking for the right harmony with his new teammates, but as the season go on, he will end up recovering his best football from his Chelsea times.

David Luiz will help Gunners defence

Arsenal's signing of David Luiz might be a successful move because he is an excellent defender with lots of experience on English football and will certainly help them to stabilize their defence.

It could also be good for him as Chelsea is going through a tough moment, and he comes to Arsenal who need a defensive leader in their squad. So I think this will be good for both club and player.

Gabriel Jesus is hyper confident

Gabriel Jesus took the right decision in staying at Manchester City and the opportunities are now coming to him. Pep Guardiola is a clever guy who knows him very well.

Jesus is starting the season very confidently after his Copa America success where he played an important role in Brazil's winning campaign. Scoring right from the start of the season, as Jesus did for City at the weekend, is important.

When you're playing regularly things tend to get easier and the Brazilian national team will also benefit from this situation, as he will get very strong in the build up to the next World Cup.