Neymar's former coach Ramalho has spoken out against Barcelona's fitness plan for the striker.
According to ESPN, "Barca club doctors have reportedly designed a special diet to help Neymar, 21, beef-up his current slimline figure, after being surprised to find the Brazilian starlet weighed only 60 kg when carrying out medical tests in June prior to his €57 million transfer."
The player then suffered anemia and reportedly lost another 7 kg. "The iron level in Neymar's blood has dropped significantly," said the star's father, Neymar senior. "The physical tiredness he has had in recent weeks is not normal and that is very concerning. As he had almost no fat to lose, he lost muscle mass."
Ramalho believes that forcing the forward to gain weight could be a detriment to his game and even lead to long-term injury.
"It would be a serious error," Ramalho said. "[Neymar] would lose his speed, and what he has better than Xavi, Messi or Iniesta is his speed. He already has a well-defined body. If he gains weight he could end up with a knee injury, as happened with Ronaldo."
Controversy has surrounded the Neymar move since it was announced in July. Many questioned whether the forward would be able to accept his role as second fiddle to Lionel Messi.
"I don't know how Neymar will do at Barcelona. At Barca, the style of play is more important than anything else. We will have to wait and see if Neymar fits in," AC Milan's Arrigo Sacchi said according to Marca. "All I'm saying is that you don't know how something will pan out. Just look at what happened with Ibrahimovic. He had all the talent to play at Barca, yet in the end he did not fit in with the rest of the players."
However, the two superstars have co-existed well throughout the preseason with some reporters giving Neymar high marks for his self-less play.
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