Having made the switch to Ligue 1, the former Barcelona star’s maiden appearance is an eagerly anticipated event
Neymar’s €222 million transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has fans of the French giants relishing the prospect of seeing their new man in action.
The Brazilian has been unveiled to the fans in his new home and has been getting to know them via social media, and he is now yet free to play for the capital club.
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So, when will Neymar finally feature for PSG? Goal brings you all you need to know about the star’s imminent French bow.
WHEN WILL NEYMAR MAKE HIS PSG DEBUT?
Neymar will make his PSG debut on Sunday against Guingamp, after the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed the receipt of the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF).
While the Brazilian’s transfer from Barcelona was announced last week, he was not free to play for his new club until the FFF and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) – the administrators of Ligue 1 – received an ITC from the RFEF, which administrates football in Spain.
‘Neymar will reach Messi’s level’
Since the paperwork was received before Saturday evening, Neymar has been named to the starting line-up in Brittany at the Stade de Roudourou.
There had been concerns in France that the Brazil international’s debut would be unnecessarily delayed, with Barcelona stressing that they would send off the necessary documents to the RFEF once they received and verified full payment of the world record sum.
The RFEF and FFF similarly confirmed there were no irregularities in the delay, and that it was simply a matter of time before Neymar was cleared to take the field.
What is an International Transfer Certificate?
In football, an International Transfer Certificate is a document that is required as part of the administrative process of a transfer where a player moves between countries in accordance with FIFA regulations. It is issued by the national association to which the player’s former club is affiliated and sent to the new club’s national association.
Professional footballers transferring from one club to another are not eligible to play in official games for their new club until an ITC has been received by the new club’s association and they are subsequently registered.
While this is normally a straightforward process, there are occasions when an ITC might not be issued by an association, such as a contractual dispute between the club and the player.
WHEN WILL NEYMAR MAKE HIS HOME DEBUT?
What number will Neymar wear at PSG?
Neymar could play at Parc des Princes for the first time as a PSG player in just over a week when the capital club welcomes Toulouse on August 20.
However, should Neymar be ruled out of the game against Toulouse – be it through injury or another unforeseen circumstance – his next opportunity for a home debut will come the following Friday, against Saint-Etienne.
WHO WILL NEYMAR REPLACE IN THE PSG XI?
PSG didn’t fork over a world-record fee for Neymar to have him occupy a space on the bench, so it will be interesting to see how he fits in to Unai Emery’s team.
Javier Pastore magnanimously vacated the No.10 jersey to accommodate the Brazilian and he found himself ousted from the left flank against Guincamp, despite starring with a goal in his side’s opening Ligue 1 victory over Amiens last week.
How PSG could line up with Neymar
Pastore formed part of a front three in last Saturday’s 2-0 win, lining up alongside Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani in attack. Should the former Palermo attacker re-claim his place in the team, Emery would be forced to consider dropping Di Maria, who scored 14 goals in all competitions for the Parisiens last season.
Of course, the PSG boss could also play Neymar instead of Edinson Cavani as the focal point in attack, but that seems unlikely given that the Uruguay international scored 49 goals in all competitions last term and continued that form with a goal against Amiens.
Another player whose chances will be adversely affected by the arrival of Neymar is Germany international Julian Draxler, who has featured in a similar role to that played by the former Barcelona man during his time at Parc des Princes.