Neymar's performance for Brazil in the Confederations Cup has garnered a tremendous amount of attention. So much in fact, that speculations have started to run rampant regarding his ability to collaborate as second fiddle to Lionel Messi in Barcelona.
Former Dutch star and Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff stated that Neymar's rise and his star status could create tension between him and Messi.
"We'll have to wait and see," Cruyff told Marca. "(Neymar) is talented but we'll have to see how he gets on with everyone. That's a problem. With Neymar on board, I would have planned for the possibility of selling Messi, and some would agree with that, others not. You are talking about a team, its players, the things around it... There are too many things at stake. That's why it's so difficult to manage such a top class squad."
Cruyff's statements echo a sentiment that a number of other outlets have noted regarding Barcelona's inability to control other major strikers. PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic stated that he had problems limiting his game to a supporting role while Spain's top scorer David Villa has become madly inconsistent as the backup scorer. Alexis Sanchez is another player that has struggled to find his offensive touch in a limited role for Blaugrana.
"Barcelona have had historic unease with controlling Brazilian strikers - the more maverick they are, the faster and more acrimonious the departure," writes The Times of India.
Neymar did note that he wanted to be the sidekick to Messi when he first arrived. "I have come to add my part so that Lionel Messi continues to be the best player in the world," said Neymar shortly after signing with Barcelona. However, the questions must be asked. Will Neymar be willing to let Messi take all of the 25-yard free kicks and watch his goal count plummet? Will Messi be willing to let Neymar take any of those free kicks? Will Neymar be okay with Messi taking the majority of the shots from the penalty spot? The answers to these and other questions will prove how long Neymar ultimately sticks with the team.
"Neymar is pure talent and has brutal quality," said Barcelona's Andres Iniesta about his new teammate. "We'll try to make him feel as good as possible as quickly as possible."
He added, "He's very young. I can't see anything complicated with Neymar and Messi."
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