Neymar has played just seven games for the 19-time Saudi champion since signing in August 2023 for a reported fee of $90 million [TNA/Getty]
Neymar’s two-week injury absence raises questions over his Al-Hilal future, while UAE’s Al-Ain parts ways with coach Hernan Crespo after a heavy Champions League loss. Meanwhile, UEFA opts against penalising Qatar-owned PSG after fans displayed a ‘Free Palestine’ banner, highlighting global solidarity as Israel’s offensive on Gaza continues.
Neymar expected to miss two weeks with injury, increasing speculation over Al-Hilal future
Neymar is expected to miss two weeks with an injury, intensifying speculation over the Brazilian’s future with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Neymar made what was just his second club appearance following a 12-month injury layoff by coming on as a substitute in the 58th minute of Al-Hilal’s 3-0 win over Esteghlal of Iran in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday.
The former Barcelona star then pulled up after stretching for the ball with three minutes remaining and had to be replaced.
“Unfortunately, it is not a simple injury and he seems to be suffering from muscle pain and it is not a knee issue,” Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus said on Wednesday in a press conference in Riyadh. “He is expected to be out for two weeks.”
Neymar took to social media to update his fans.
“Hopefully nothing too much…” he wrote. “It’s normal that after one year (out) this happens, the doctors had already warned me, so I have to be careful and play more minutes.”
Saudi media speculated that the absence could last as long as three weeks and that Al-Hilal may not register Neymar, whose contract ends in June 2025, for the second half of the Saudi Pro League season.
Neymar has played just seven games for the 19-time Saudi champion since signing in August 2023 for a reported fee of $90 million.
He is not currently registered to play domestic league games as the club has a full contingent of 10 foreign players, but is allowed to play in continental competitions.
UAE club Al-Ain fires coach Hernan Crespo
Al-Ain fired head coach Hernan Crespo on Wednesday, less than six months after the Argentine led the United Arab Emirates club to Asia’s Champions League title.
The decision came after a string of disappointing results that culminated in a 5-1 loss to Cristiano Ronald’s Al-Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday.
It means Crespo, the former Inter Milan and Chelsea striker, will not get a chance to lead Al-Ain to the expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup despite helping it qualify for the tournament in the United States next summer.
The high point of Crespo’s 12-month tenure was May’s victory over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the two-legged Asian final but the two-time continental champion has collected just one point from the first four games in this season’s tournament.
The club thanked Crespo in a statement but said “recent results have not met expectations”.
It did not immediately announce a replacement for the 49-year-old Crespo.
PSG dodge UEFA sanctions after fans display ‘Free Palestine’ banner
Paris St Germain will not face disciplinary proceedings after their fans unfurled a ‘Free Palestine’ banner before kick-off in Wednesday’s Champions League game at home to Atletico Madrid, European football’s governing body UEFA said.
The 50×20-metre banner was displayed in the Auteuil Kop of the Parc des Princes.
UEFA bans ‘provocative’ or ‘insulting’ political messages in stadiums, but said on Thursday the banner would not lead to potential sanctions despite although previous political messages at matches resulted in punishments.
“There will … be no disciplinary case because the banner that was unfurled cannot be in this case considered provocative or insulting,” a UEFA spokesperson said.
The banner featured what appeared to be a map of historic Palestine in the colours of the Palestinian keffiyeh and a person with a clenched fist held up wearing a headscarf.
Under the banner, a message unrolled by the PSG fans read: “War on the pitch, but peace in the world.”
Later in the game, another message was unveiled, saying: “Does a child’s life in Gaza mean less than another?”.
Israel’s brutal war on Gaza has killed at least 43,400 people – most of whom were women and children.
Last year, Scottish club Celtic were fined 17,500 euros ($18,870) after their supporters waved Palestinian flags at a Champions League match.
