Neymar tackles diving accusations in Gillette ad, admitting World Cup ‘exaggeration’
Brazilian football star Neymar Jr has partnered with Gillette to confess to unsporting behavior at the World Cup.
Neymar JR makes World Cup admissions
Neymar was criticised for his tendency to go down easy at the World Cup where he was recorded spending more than 14 minutes on the ground. He even sparked a viral craze where members of the public rolled about on the floor.
The forward, the third most talked about athlete at the tournament took a deep dive into his motives and behaviour in a branded video from Gillette called ‘A New Man Every Day’. It was broadcast in his home country on TV and social media.
The ad is in Neymar’s native Portuguese, but the AP kindly translated the narration. Discussing his on-field antics, Neymar said: “You may think I exaggerate. And sometimes I do exaggerate. But the truth is I suffer on the pitch. You may think I fall too much, but the truth is I did not fall. I fell apart."
Referring to his nation’s defeat at the hands of Belgium, he added: “That hurts more than any step on an operated ankle.
“You can keep casting stones. Or throw these stones away and help me stand. When I stand, all of Brazil stands with me.”
The work gained substantial media coverage in the press due to it being one of Neymar’s few reflections on the World Cup.
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