'No longer capable' - Al-Hilal chief aims another brutal dig at Neymar following Brazilian superstar's departure for Santos after just seven games for Saudi Pro League side

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar saw his contract with the Saudi Pro League club ripped up after taking in just seven appearances. Knee ligament damage kept him out of action for 12 months, with fitness problems proving impossible to overcome.

Neymar has since returned to his roots at Santos, with a professional spark being sought back where it all began for him, with Al-Hilal looking to move on from an unfortunate saga. They believe that a man who was once a Ballon d’Or contender alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will never be the same again.

Calzada has told Suddeutsche Zeitung: “I am very sorry that we were never able to count on Neymar. As soon as he arrived, he ruptured his cruciate ligament. His departure is further proof that we at Al Hilal are looking for and need players capable of delivering maximum performance.

“As much as Neymar contributed to our marketing success , sporting performance comes first. And that's when we came to the conclusion that he was no longer capable of delivering what we expected. The agreement to terminate his contract benefited all parties.”

Al-Hilal also took the decision to part with Neymar as the Saudi Pro League imposes limits on the number of foreign players that each team is allowed in their squad. Calzada added: “The competition in our team is brutal. We have a limited number of places for foreign players and the players we have now are doing an excellent job. Neymar is not currently at the level to immediately deliver the performance we need to achieve our objectives.”

Neymar, who had seen a move to join ex-Barca team-mates Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami speculated on, has signed an initial six-month contract at Santos and expressed a desire to grace the 2026 World Cup finals.