I wouldn't have wanted Neymar back if I were coach: Vicente del Bosque
Former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has said he would not have brought Neymar back to La Liga had he been coach of Barcelona or Real Madrid, even though he recognises the Brazilian's qualities as a player.
Barcelona held several meetings with Paris St Germain to bring the Brazilian back to the Nou Camp two years after he walked out on them to join the French side for a world-record fee of 222 million euros (S$339m).
But the two clubs failed to strike a deal before the transfer window closed on Monday, with PSG's sporting director Leonardo claiming that the Spanish champions had failed to meet his club's asking price.
Leonardo also acknowledged that his club had spoken to Real about the forward.
Neymar has scored 51 goals for PSG, but both of his seasons in France have been marred by serious injuries at key stages in the campaign.
He also had an on-field dispute with teammate Edinson Cavani over penalty-taking duties.
"I think it would have been good for the Spanish league if he had come back. But, if I were a coach of a club, I wouldn't have brought him back," del Bosque told Spanish television network Estudio Estadio.
"While I'll say he is a brilliant player, I don't think very highly of him for other reasons."
Del Bosque, who won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 as Spain coach plus two Champions League titles as coach of Real, also criticised Neymar for the manner in which he left Barcelona in 2017.
"With Barcelona, he did not behave well, in fact he behaved badly, very badly," he added.
"If you surveyed Barcelona fans, I'm sure that more than half of them wouldn't want him back. There's a reason for that."
Del Bosque, however, backed Gareth Bale to be an asset for Real, following his near-exit in pre-season.
"No one thought his behaviour was bad, just that he did not adapt to Madrid. Very few people doubted his qualities," said the Spaniard. - REUTERS
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