Neymar’s move to Al Hilal hasn’t paid off so far. Much was expected of the $98 million signing, but his ACL injury forced a change in plans. Despite Neymar being ruled out of the season, Al Hilal is comfortably at the top of the league. Yet, Al Hilal boss Jorge Jesus seems frustrated with his star player and has compared the Brazilian with Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo, with a sharp take on their individual sensibilities.

Al Nassr and Al Hilal are the top 2 sides in the Saudi Pro League, with the latter enjoying a slender lead. The winter break is currently underway and both teams are looking at potential reinforcements before the second half of the season kicks in.

Jorge Jesus on what separates Cristiano Ronaldo from the likes of Neymar

In a recent interview with Correio da Manhã, the Al Hilal boss opened up about the Brazilian star. Jesus said, “I had no luck with Neymar, I had never worked with Neymar, we worked for a month and a half (and then Neymar got injured).” While recognizing his immense quality, Jesus added a trait of Ronaldo, perhaps missing in the Brazilian. He explained, “Cristiano Ronaldo is different from Neymar. Ronaldo has a greater passion for football, so he makes it a priority,”

Jesus explained that Neymar has a passion for things like his private life. Recently, there has been a lot of news regarding his rumoured breakup with partner Bruna Biancardi. Moreover, Neymar was also a part of an extravagant cruise trip at Christmas. And so, it seems like Jesus is taking a dig at the star’s high-profile life outside the pitch.

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While seemingly taking a shot at the injured star, the Al Hilal boss did reserve some words of praise. He termed Neymar a ‘fabulous’ player and revealed that he surprised him in a positive way. However, what’s even more surprising has been Al Hilal’s form without the injured star. In fact, this even prompted some interesting words from the club’s CEO.

‘Not affected by his absence’, Al Hilal CEO’s words don’t bode well for the Brazilian

Neymar’s injury was expected to be a crucial blow for Al Hilal. Yet they haven’t missed a beat as per the CEO Esteve Calzada. He said, “His injury was painful for us. He is an important player, but it is clear that we were not affected by his absence. We won 19 consecutive matches.”

Al Hilal are also unbeaten in the league and strong favourites for the Asian Champions League. Moreover, there have been plenty of reports linking them to sign a replacement for Neymar. Considering his hefty wages and how the team has not yet dropped performance levels, the Brazilian faces an uncertain future at the club.

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