Neymar’s harsh PSG farewell: Luis Enrique’s ruthless five-word message that sent current Santos star to Saudi Pro League

In the summer of 2023, Paris Saint-Germain entered a new era under Luis Enrique. The Spanish coach was brought in to reshape a team that had relied for years on its superstars but had failed to deliver European glory. PSG’s project would now focus on collective play, discipline, and young talent — meaning that no player, no matter how famous, was untouchable. And at the center of this transition stood Neymar.

The Brazilian forward, once the crown jewel of PSG’s record-breaking ambitions, suddenly found himself on the wrong side of the new regime. What followed was a blunt and decisive exchange between player and coach — one that would ultimately push the veteran forward toward a Saudi Pro League move.

When Neymar joined the French giant in 2017 from Barcelona, his $263 million transfer fee made history as the most expensive deal ever in soccer. Over six seasons, he produced 118 goals and 79 assists in 173 appearances, winning five Ligue 1 titles and countless domestic trophies.

Yet his time in Paris was also marked by injuries, missed Champions League opportunities, and the constant question of whether the Neymar–Messi–Mbappe trident could deliver European success.

By 2023, PSG sporting director Luis Campos admitted the club needed a reset. “We’re going to protect PSG. We always want to play well and win matches. With this policy, everyone understands that the coach doesn’t give priority based on a player’s status or background,” he said back then.

The meeting that changed everything

That reset meant difficult conversations — and one of them was with Neymar himself. Campos revealed that Luis Enrique personally spoke with the Brazilian to tell him that he was no longer in the club’s plans. “It was Luis Enrique who sat down and said to Neymar: ‘It’s good that you’re leaving.’ He told him face-to-face,” Campos said in his latest RMC Sport interview. 

“Because he thinks about soccer differently. He thinks about playing as a team. He thinks that the player who will play is the one who deserves it during the week in training, with total commitment. That’s what he’s looking for, and that’s what we gave him.” Those five words — “It’s good that you’re leaving” — reportedly sealed Neymar’s fate. Within weeks, PSG agreed to sell him to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia for around $76 million.

Painful Saudi adventure vs. PSG’s new era

Neymar’s time in Saudi Arabia was plagued by misfortune. After just seven appearances for Al-Hilal, he suffered a torn ACL and meniscus injury in his left knee, ending his season prematurely. By January 2025, Neymar had returned to his boyhood club Santos in Brazil.

While Neymar battled setbacks, PSG thrived under Luis Enrique’s new philosophy. The team went on to win their first-ever Champions League title in 2024-25, completing a historic domestic and European treble.