Unai Emery Defends Neymar After 'Unsportsmanlike' Play vs. Rennes

Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery has defended Neymar after he caused controversy in their 3-2 win over Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue on Tuesday.

According to The Sun's Jake Lambourne, the Brazilian showcased some "unsportsmanlike" behaviour in the match, but manager Emery told Canal+: "Neymar plays like that and he is a great player, so he needs to enjoy himself on the pitch in order to bring what he can to the team. He must also be protected and not just him, every player."

Neymar showed off his skills in the match by controlling the ball with his back and scooping it over Benjamin Bourigeaud, and he was then fouled for his troubles, per Goal UK:

The forward then prompted controversy after fouling Hamari Traore. Neymar offered his hand to the player as if to help him off the floor, before withdrawing it at the final moment:

Per Lambourne, the 25-year-old said after the match: "I'm playing football but players provoke me a lot."

He further defended his actions as a joke:

Rennes were unhappy with the player's comments in relation to being provoked and tweeted Neymar directly with a response.

According to Marca, the club wrote: "Neymar, you are a great player, but who was it who had to go off the pitch yesterday as a result of an ugly challenge? It was a Rennes player, Ismaila Sarr, who was even out for three months because of another ugly challenge."

Kylian Mbappe received the first red card of his career for his foul on Sarr.

It is not the first time Neymar has riled up opponents this season, having had a run-in with Celtic's Anthony Ralston when the two sides met in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

To an extent, Neymar's position is understandable. With the amount at stake in top-level football and the seriousness that often accompanies that, it can be refreshing to witness players enjoying themselves on the pitch and having fun.

Those who can play the game with a smile on their face—and bring such joy to those watching—live long in the memory, with the recently retired Ronaldinho being an ideal example.

That said, there's also a line between having fun and disrespecting an opponent, and Neymar's fake-out may have crossed it if Traore wasn't in on the joke.

Neymar isn't likely to change his approach to the game, but as he matures, he should gain a better sense of where that line is.