Neymar-Barça: Now at peace, but a future romance is impossible
The legal dispute between Barça and the Brazilian forward has now been concluded, but the player will not return to Camp Nou
The way in which Neymar left Camp Nou in the summer of 2017 left FC Barcelona stunned. His signing for PSG - who paid his full release clause of 222 million euros - sent shockwaves along the corridors of Camp Nou, the likes of which have never been felt before. Alongside Leo Messi and Luis Suárez, Neymar formed part of the best three-man attack in world football. His talent alone meant that, sooner or later, he would eventually become Barça's main man. However, Neymar decided to choose Qatari money over Barça's sporting project, bringing an end to his love affair with the club. His betrayal shocked then-president Bartomeu, who reacted badly by going all-out to sign Ousmane Dembélé, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann over the coming years. Barça spent more than 400 million euros trying to replace the Brazilian forward, without great success. But that's not all. Neymar and Barça had been involved in a lengthy legal dispute that dragged the club's name even further through the mud. This four-year war has now ended, with an amicable agreement being reached between the parties. Neymar has waived all the claims that he has brought against Barça, and vice-versa, in a dispute of more than 60 million euros. Laporta's intervention has been decisive in bringing an end to a negotiation that the club's legal department had been working on for some time.
The war between Neymar and Barça shouldn't have even started in the first place, and the relationship between player and club should never have come to such an unpleasant and damaging end. The way in which his departure was handled turned the affair into a genuine nightmare. Despite this, Barça tried to bring the Brazilian back to Camp Nou on several occasions, but PSG stood firm to prevent the return of the 'prodigal son'. Now that the legal dispute is over, it's too late to try and rekindle what they once had. The player has just extended his stay at PSG until 2025, meaning the two parties are at peace but a future romance is impossible.
