Shape-up or ship-out: Neymar in question as PSG chief blasts club\'s \'celebrity behaviour\'

Shape-up or ship-out: Neymar in question as PSG chief blasts club's 'celebrity behaviour'

AFP  |  Paris 

warned and his other highly-paid stars on Sunday that they must shape-up or ship-out, claiming "celebrity behaviour" at the French champions will not be tolerated.

"It must be completely different, they will have to do more, work more. They are not here to please themselves and if they do not agree, the doors are open. I do not want to have celebrity behaviour anymore.

"I have realised that changes were essential, otherwise we're going nowhere." Although he wasn't named, there seems little doubt that Brazilian star was the chief target of Al-Khelaifi's blast.

The 27-year-old was questioned by for five hours on Thursday over allegations he raped a woman he met through in a Paris hotel last month -- charges he has denied.

Neymar has been plagued by controversy in

Injured and forced to watch from the stands as PSG were knocked out of by Manchester United in March, Neymar aimed obscene language at the match officials on

"It's a disgrace. They get four guys who don't understand to watch a slow motion replay in front of the TV," he wrote.

Neymar was handed a three-match suspension by for those insults which rule him out of PSG's opening fixtures in next season's European campaign.

Neymar then scored in PSG's French Cup final defeat by Rennes but hits a supporter as he collects his runners-up medal at the Stade de

He is given a further two-game ban while the Brazilian press brand him a "coward" and a "rebellious teenager".

boss Tite took the skipper's armband away from the 96-time international and gave it to club team-mate instead although it proved academic as Neymar was then ruled out of the Copa America due to an picked up in a friendly.

Al-Khelaifi's outburst comes just days after former PSG sporting returned to the club in the same position replacing Antero Henrique.

The Brazilian had already warned that no should be above the "institution" of PSG, in an interview with Canal+ a few weeks after the arrival of Neymar in 2017.

"It does not matter if Neymar is Neymar, if is Cristiano Ronaldo, the club is an institution to respect," said

PSG won the French title for a sixth time in seven seasons.

However, in a disappointing European run, Thomas Tuchel's men failed to reach the later stages of losing to Manchester United in the last 16. They have now lost in the last 16 in three straight seasons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, June 17 2019. 09:50 IST