Neymar Sr. has slammed his son's critics after the Paris Saint-Germain star failed to live up to expectations in Wednesday's Champions League reverse to Real Madrid.
The Brazilian showed glimpses of his best form in the 3-1 defeat, but was marshalled efficiently by Nacho as two late goals helped the Merengue over the finishing line.
But according to his father, Neymar is dogged by people who are keen to see him fall, comparing his critics to "vultures" in a lengthy social media outburst.
"In a war there are those who feed off victories and there are those who, like vultures, feed from the carrion of the defeated," Neymar Sr, who also acts as the player's agent, fired on Instagram.
"They do nothing, they produce nothing, they live off the limelight or, more often, off the struggles of their 'prey'.
"In the football world we know these people as showing 'vulture behaviour'. Sometimes they take advantage of a loud microphone, of a mediocre 'playing' career (it is not right to call those who at the very least act questionably off the field 'athletes'), always in the shadow of others who are more talented, to vent their frustrations.
"They take advantage of a defeat, a lost battle, to begin the hunt, waiting for defeat in the war to feed their egos, like vultures feed off carrion.
"They will never win an Olympics in Rio, but there they are, waiting for the first chance to show their mean spirits.
"But remember: We lost a battle, not the war. My son's 'war' has been going on since he was a kid, always fighting the good fight, always dodging the vultures, always being reborn stronger!
"And most of all, respecting everybody, even the vultures. We lost a battle, maybe the war, we will see, because it will go on as long as he is on the pitch.
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