Neymar’s ‘Poker First’ Policy Angers Football Fans

Brazilian soccer star and former PokerStars Pro Neymar Jr has been criticised by fans and former team-mates for playing online poker in Brazil while his club side in France battled for the League title – one famous French footballer accusing him of 'spitting on the club'.

Neymar’s Instagram pic, now apparently deleted, shows him playing in what appears to be PokerStars Sunday Million as well as a satellite to the April 22nd $10million GTD Sunday Million.

At the same time, his teammates at Paris St Germain were trying to lock up the French league title, and former FC Barcelona striker Christophe Dugarry was quick to attack Neymar for his lack of commitment to his new French club.

"How could Neymar not be there with his teammates with the title at stake?" Dugarry told RMC Sport. "They've given him the role of leader and he doesn't even come to share in the win? How is it possible that PSG can accept that? How can he look his teammates in the eye when he behaves that way? He's spitting on the club. I think it is outrageous. If he was at Barcelona, he would have returned with no problem.”

Twitter was soon awash with the news, and the reception Neymar received was none too kindly…

For those who don’t follow football, or soccer to our American cousins, Neymar has been on the sidelines for a while, recovering from a metatarsal injury and giving him plenty of time to indulge his poker passion as PokerTube revealed recently.

And despite his Instagram pics of the Sunday Millions clearly showing football on the TV in the background, it certainly wasn’t enough for the fans…

Neymar’s poker and football moves

Neymar was signed up by PokerStars in 2016, the site hoping to use the footballing sensation’s multi-million fanbase to attract more people into poker, and paying him €4million per year for the privilege.

Last year, however, PokerStars dropped Neymar, Ronaldo and Portuguese namesake Cristiano Ronaldo from their publicity campaigns, replacing them with comedian Kevin Hart and sprint legend Usain Bolt.

For Neymar Jr, the financial hit wouldn’t be felt – his transfer fee from Barcelona to PSG a staggering €222million ($264million) – and he’s not done yet, unhappy at PSG apparently and a move to Manchester United in the offing.