Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, Neymar for short, had imagined everything so well from distant Paris.
First Jair Bolsonaro would have triumphed in his re-election as President of Brazil, then he would dedicate his first World Cup goal in Qatar to the head of state, and finally Selecão, under his leadership, would give the nation the “Hexa”, the sixth title, placed under the Christmas tree. Tudo bem: All good.
Now the first act of the oracle of the Brazilian football magician, part of the magical trio with Messi and Mbappé at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has exploded like a mirage. The Bolsonaro fans, who, like their idol, had radiated optimism in the seats with the canary yellow jerseys of the national team, wore mourning as after the 7-1 debacle against Germany at the 2014 home World Cup at the Maracaña stadium. The Lula fans’ L logo also turned against their opponents, the “Losers”.
The burden on watermarked Neymar to fulfill his prophecy in the home of oil sheikhs and PSG patrons is even heavier. Instead of marking the dying swan on the lawn, he, Simsalabim, must roll out the flying carpet like a wizard. After all: at the World Cup final on 18 December Bolsonaro, a bad loser, is still in charge. (four)
Reactions to: [email protected]
(“Die Presse”, paper edition, November 2, 2022)
