New Year's Eve: Neymar still forgets his responsibilities as a public figure

This is the sports editorial of Virginie Phulpin.

Neymar is talking about him again, a long time ago ... The Brazilian is on vacation in Rio, and the PSG player is preparing a huge party for New Year's Eve, in the midst of a pandemic.

For you, Neymar still did not understand that as a public figure, he had responsibilities. 

In fact, we must deprive Neymar of vacation, I see only that.

Obviously, he is not able to realize on his own what he can or cannot do.

On a football field, he can be absolutely brilliant, a ball-to-foot artist that we all want to watch, to admire.

But as soon as he leaves the field, the Brazilian does anything, it's almost mechanical.

So there he is in Brazil, preparing a party for the New Year.

So far so good.

Ah yes, but with Neymar, a party is necessarily hundreds of guests near Rio and it must last several days.

That he wants to have fun, to unwind after a complicated year, I understand.

We are all there.

But we hold back.

We are waiting for better days.

There is no one around Neymar to tell him that it is a very bad idea to organize this kind of feast when the whole earth is confined, pre-confined, re-re-confined or under curfew ?

Obviously, yes, there are people who realize that the image will be disastrous, since for the said party, we will ask the guests to leave their smartphones in the locker room.

To be sure that there are no photos or videos going around the world.

So it's not naivety, they know perfectly well that it will be terrible for the image of the footballer.

So why isn't anyone saying stop to him?   

The image of responsible and committed footballers, which has been talked about a lot lately, is taking a hit. 

With this kind of behavior, Neymar tramples on everything that footballers have acquired in recent times, that is to say the right to express themselves, to engage on social issues.

This player we saw on the front line against racism during PSG - Basaksehir in the Champions League shows us that what matters above all to him is himself and his personal pleasures.

Is he in Brazil, a country where the Covid has already killed 190,000, and all he can find to do is have a giant party?

I know that private parties are not banned in Brazil, but there are still 500 deaths a day from this virus in this country.

And Neymar is organizing a party worthy of a festival.

And the worst part is that all footballers are going to be called irresponsible just because of his nonsense.

Being a public figure offers freedoms, it also gives you responsibilities.

Neymar just forgot the second part of this sentence.

A bit like on a field.

He attacks, but he forgets to defend.

Come on, it's not too late, cancel this giant party, it will prevent a global hangover.