Luis Enrique defends Neymar´s behaviour

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique defended the attitude of Neymar after the Catalan club reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique dismissed questions about Neymar’s attitude towards opponents, after Atletico Madrid captain Gabi hinted at a lack of respect from the Brazilian forward.

Neymar struck twice in Barcelona’s 3-2 win over Atletico at the Estadio Vicente Calderon on Wednesday, which secured a 4-2 aggregate victory in their Copa del Rey quarter-final, but Gabi was unimpressed by the 22-year-old’s body language during the match.

When the former Santos striker gave Barca a 3-2 lead in the second leg, he cupped his ear towards the home fans as if to dismiss their vitriol.

Gabi, who was sent off at half-time for complaining to the referee, seemed to indicate it was disrespectful.

“He has a peculiar way of playing, especially when he’s winning,” Atleti’s skipper told Canal+.

“He makes gestures out on the pitch, especially when he’s winning. Nobody likes to lose and his behaviour can be annoying.”

But Luis Enrique was unfazed: “Neymar’s attitude is normal for a player like him, with a lot of self-confidence.

“He delivers a lot to the team in both offensive and defensive part of the game. He understands football this way. He scores goals, dribbling… nobody will change him.

“He is being like this many years and we like him as he is a very brave player. So I think he has done a prominent performance.”

Luis Enrique was thrilled to reach the final four of the Copa del Rey but conceded his team’s current winning streak of seven matches in all competitions would mean little if they finish the 2014-15 season without a trophy.

Barcelona sit second in La Liga, a point behind leaders Real Madrid, while they are set to face Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in February.