Neymar, 31, PSG, played full-time in South Korea, sparking outrage from Japanese fans.
PSG beat Jeonbuk Hyundai 3-0 in a friendly at the Asiad Stadium in Busan on Wednesday. Neymar fired a multi-goal blast without being substituted in the sweltering heat to the delight of Korean fans.
After being criticized for being a 바카라사이트“no-show” in the first three games of his Japan tour, Neymar defied expectations and started and played the full game against Jeonbuk. Neymar was in fantastic form, scoring multiple goals to help PSG win the game.
Neymar was expected to be substituted in the second half. However, after gulping down water, Neymar played alongside Lee Kang-in, who came on as a substitute in the 24th minute of the second half. Neymar defied expectations and played the full game. After rehabbing from ankle surgery, he reassured fans that he was back to 100%.
However, Neymar’s play made Japanese fans uncomfortable. Neymar didn’t play a single second in his three games in Japan. This was at a time when Lionel Messi was transferred and Kylian Mbappe was excluded from the Asia tour due to a conflict with the club. PSG heavily promoted Neymar and made a lot of money from the tour, but he didn’t play a single second.
What angered Japanese fans even more was the price of PSG tickets in Japan. Tickets were much more expensive in Japan than in South Korea, even though Neymar played full-time in South Korea. Japanese consumers were paying a lot more for an inferior product.
The “Hospitality Special Ticket,” which allows you to watch the game from VIP seats and includes a gourmet meal, was sold out despite the exorbitant price of 3 million yen (about $27.27 million). First-class tickets for PSG vs. Cerezo Osaka were also priced at 100,000 yen (approximately $930,000), while tickets for PSG vs. Inter Milan were priced at 200,000 yen (approximately $1.87 million).
Open training tickets to watch PSG train were also priced at 8,000 yen (about $70,000). Japanese fans were happy to open their wallets for the chance to see superstars like Neymar. When Neymar didn’t show up in the second half of the game, Japanese fans started chanting his name. After the game, Neymar gestured to apologize for his absence.
Tickets for PSG vs Jeonbuk were also expensive. Premium A seats cost 500,000 won. First tier seats cost 320,000 won, second tier seats 180,000 won, and third tier seats 120,000 won. That’s a lot of money for a K League season ticket. However, compared to Japan, it was relatively cheap. Fans who came to Busan to watch Neymar’s multi-goal performance and Lee Kang-in’s appearance were the main reasons for the expensive tickets.
“Fans understood that Neymar didn’t play in Japan because of his physical condition,” said Sports Hochi. But just two days later, when Neymar played full time in South Korea and scored two goals, they couldn’t understand it. How could they understand that he was feeling better after just two days?” the outlet asked.
“The exorbitant ticket prices were controversial even before the game. The average ticket price was twice that of South Korea. The next time PSG comes to Japan, we don’t expect the same reaction.”
PSG reportedly earned 13 million euros (about 18.6 billion won) as a result of their tour of Japan last year. It was so popular that more than 45,000 tickets were sold for the 8,000 yen open training sessions. The superstar trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar played a big role in this.
This year, PSG expects to earn €20 million (approximately 28.7 billion won) from the Japan tour, much more than last year. However, the lack of stars has left Japanese fans disappointed. PSG has been criticized for only considering the commercial aspect of the tour. In Japan, Neymar has become as unlikable as Ronaldo in South Korea.