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Neymar Responds to Allegations of Excessive Drinking and Late-Night Gaming

Neymar is taking legal action after being accused of having an addiction to whisky and energy drinks, as well as engaging in unprofessional late-night gaming sessions. His representatives, NR Sports, publicly denounced these claims as “reckless, defamatory, slanderous, and false.”

The allegations originated from a video on a channel called Futeboteco, where journalist Rodolfo Gomes claimed that Neymar “is hooked on whisky with energy drinks, smokes shisha, and only sleeps around 4:00-5:00 a.m.” Gomes also suggested that Neymar’s habits are affecting his team commitments and implied that the player will not return to action this year. He further alleged that training schedules have been altered to accommodate Neymar’s late nights, and that the new Santos coach, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, is considering earlier training sessions to “indirectly expose” the issues.

After widespread coverage, Neymar’s team responded with legal threats, asserting that all necessary measures would be taken against those spreading false information. Meanwhile, Neymar himself appeared to mock the allegations by sharing a picture of an energy drink can on social media, with the caption “ADDICTED to Red Bull. That one’s great” followed by a wink emoji.

Neymar, who is currently sidelined with a quadriceps injury, has had a tumultuous return to Santos. His injury history includes a broken foot, ankle ligament tears at PSG, a torn ACL at Al-Hilal, and multiple muscle injuries. Recently, he suffered a grade-two quadriceps tear, expected to keep him out until November. The player’s exile has coincided with intense fan protests, including confrontations that left Neymar in tears after a heavy defeat and threats directed at the team at training grounds.

Brazil’s all-time top scorer with 79 goals, Neymar has not played for the national team since suffering a knee ligament injury in October 2023. The new coach, Carlo Ancelotti, emphasized the importance of players being fully fit, stating that Neymar is improving his condition and is one of the most talented players available. Ancelotti stressed that Neymar’s participation in upcoming tournaments hinges on reaching peak physical fitness to ensure optimal performance.

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