Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thanked football star Neymar for his support on Sunday, three weeks before the second round of the presidential election against Lula.
“
Neymar, thank you.
Thank you for your concern, not for my fate, but for that of your country.
I am a simple soldier.
You are at the top
, ”said the head of state during an interview lasting more than four hours on the Youtube channel Pilhado.
“
Neymar lives abroad (in Paris), he sees what is happening in the world.
He must say to himself: I don't lack for anything, but I don't want my loved ones to suffer like the inhabitants of
Latin American countries governed by the left, such as Venezuela, Argentina, Chile or Nicaragua.
Read also“When someone has a different opinion, they are attacked”: Neymar responds to criticism after his support for Bolsonaro
“
He is not afraid to expose himself and he has a huge following among young people who are voting for the first time
” in this election, he insisted.
The Paris SG star striker had taken a stand in favor of the far-right president three days before the first round of the presidential election, smilingly miming a campaign jingle in a video on TikTok.
The next day, he defended himself from the many criticisms received on social networks.
“
We talk about democracy and a lot of things, but when someone has a different opinion they are attacked by these same people who talk about democracy.
Go figure
,” tweeted number 10 of the Seleçao.
During the interview this Sunday, videos of other sportsmen supporting Jair Bolsonaro were shown on the screen, with for example messages from former Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo, who plays today at Fluminense, or of ex-basketball player Nenê Hilario, who played 17 years in the NBA, notably at the Denver Nuggets.
The head of state also took advantage of this river interview to once again call
his opponent in the second round, the left-wing ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva , a "
thief ".
“
Lula has surpassed Al Capone.
Al Capone was a pick-pocket next to Lula
, ”he said, referring to the famous gangster who ruled the world of crime in Chicago in the 1920s.
The left-wing candidate, whom the polls give as the favorite for the second round on October 30, also did not hesitate to attack his opponent on Sunday: "
Bolsonaro lies without any effort, he never tells the truth
" , said the former steelworker at a press conference in Belo Horizonte (southeast).
