Neymar's "cold and brief" goodbye to Barcelona teammates

No applause, no ovation, no nears, no... One of the witnesses that was there when Neymar went to the dressing room to get his things said the Brazilian's goodbye was "cold and brief." They added that "in less than 10 minutes" he was done, his goodbye as fleeting as it was strange. 

Before saying goodbye to his teammates, Neymar met with Ernesto Valverde in the coach's office at the Ciutat Esportiva. He explained his situation and was given permission to miss training and finalise his move to Paris Saint-Germain, parting with a simple handshake. 

Then came the moment of truth, when he had to tell his teammates he was off. The truth is that it only came as a surprise to a few because during the tour he'd communicated to many that his decision was made and no U-turn was fortchoming. 

But it hadn't been made "official" to the dressing room. All the squad were there this time, including Ter Stegen and Andre Gomes, the last to join in preseason. In little more than 30 seconds, Neymar had said his peace in a low tone, basically saying he was grateful for the years he'd spent at the club and that he will "continue to carry" his teammates "in his heart." 

From there, one by one, he said goodbye. The more emotional goodbyes were with the players he'd shared the most with, such as Pique, Suarez and Messi, as well as Umtiti, Alba and Aleix Vidal, who, aside from the Brazilians Douglas and Rafinha, form his most intimate circle at the club. 

But, despite that, the general sensation in the dressing room was not one of sadness. It's a sporting blow because no one will arrive with Neymar's quality, but "here we have the best in the world." And that cannot be said by PSG. Not yet.