Neymar says 'football without Lionel Messi is not football' as Barcelona forward shows support to his under-fire team-mate
Lionel Messi convicted of tax fraud by a Barcelona court on Wednesday
Barcelona superstar was handed a 21-month jail term along with his father
Neymar defended the Ballon D'or winner and said Messi is his idol
The Brazilian superstar recently signed a new five-year-deal with Barcelona
Neymar has come out in support of his Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi and said that football without the Argentine superstar 'is not football.'
Messi and his father, Jorge, were sentenced to 21 months in prison on Wednesday after a Barcelona court found them both guilty of three counts of tax fraud.
The pair are unlikely to serve any of their sentence behind bars but Messi's management team has appealed his sentence to the supreme court, and Barcelona have launched a campaign urging fans to 'express their sympathy.'
The Blaugrana's campaign has been met with widespread derision, but Neymar backed his fellow forward.
'Messi is not only my friend, he is also my idol, and I will always support him. I can imagine what he is going through,' Neymar said at a public event in Praia Grande.
Messi has also been facing problems on the pitch in recent weeks - he announced his retirement from international football after Argentina were beaten in the Copa America final by Chile earlier this month.
Neymar respected the eight-time La Liga winner's choice to hang up his boots for Argentina, but admitted he did not want to think of a time when Messi had retired from the sport.
He continued: 'I respect his decisions, but football without Messi isn't football, it's hard to imagine it without him.
'If you like football at all, you can't help but admire Messi and everything he's achieved for Argentina and Barcelona.'
Neymar recently put an end to rumours surrounding his future by signing a new five-year-deal at the Camp Nou.
The former Santos attacker was attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United but was always keen to stay with the Catalan giants.
'I am very happy,' he added. 'It is true that there were various proposals, but my wish has always been to stay.'
Neymar defended the Ballon D'or winner and said Messi is his idol
The Brazilian superstar recently signed a new five-year-deal with Barcelona
Neymar has come out in support of his Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi and said that football without the Argentine superstar 'is not football.'
Messi and his father, Jorge, were sentenced to 21 months in prison on Wednesday after a Barcelona court found them both guilty of three counts of tax fraud.
The pair are unlikely to serve any of their sentence behind bars but Messi's management team has appealed his sentence to the supreme court, and Barcelona have launched a campaign urging fans to 'express their sympathy.'
The Blaugrana's campaign has been met with widespread derision, but Neymar backed his fellow forward.
'Messi is not only my friend, he is also my idol, and I will always support him. I can imagine what he is going through,' Neymar said at a public event in Praia Grande.
Messi has also been facing problems on the pitch in recent weeks - he announced his retirement from international football after Argentina were beaten in the Copa America final by Chile earlier this month.
Neymar respected the eight-time La Liga winner's choice to hang up his boots for Argentina, but admitted he did not want to think of a time when Messi had retired from the sport.
He continued: 'I respect his decisions, but football without Messi isn't football, it's hard to imagine it without him.
'If you like football at all, you can't help but admire Messi and everything he's achieved for Argentina and Barcelona.'
Neymar recently put an end to rumours surrounding his future by signing a new five-year-deal at the Camp Nou.
The former Santos attacker was attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United but was always keen to stay with the Catalan giants.
'I am very happy,' he added. 'It is true that there were various proposals, but my wish has always been to stay.'
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