The surprising reason Simeone would pick Neymar over Mbappe
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has explained that he would pick Neymar for one of his teams before Kylian Mbappe – and it’s for a reason that may surprise many.
The Atletico Madrid boss says that Neymar is better for his team than his PSG teammate.
That is despite the Brazilian star having a reputation of attention seeking, while Mbappe is quieter and down-to-earth, even donating his entire World Cup earnings to charity.
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In contrast, getting out from under Lionel Messi’s shadow was reportedly a key reason Neymar left Barcelona, while his antics at the recent World Cup and at PSG suggest he is more player more concerned with his own headlines than that of his team’s.
However, Simeone sees it differently because when asked who he would prefer to have on his side, his response was typical.
“Neymar. In the Barcelona team of Luis Enrique, when he needed to work, he worked,” he told Spanish broadcaster Cadena COPE, per Goal.
“Mbappe is more individualistic and doesn’t have a definitive role. Neymar has a fixed position.”
Simeone requires his players to adopt a disciplined mentality as a collective, which is perhaps why he implied one of his Atletico stars has been important in helping Mbappe succeed with France.
“[Antoinne] Griezmann has a different kind of game,” he added.
“I read that Mbappe is more powerful and quicker than him, but Griezmann is the pilot.”