Delirious Paris-Saint Germain fans have got their first glimpse of world-record signing Neymar although he was restricted to some pre-match ball juggling after being forced to sit out their 2-0 opening win over Amiens.
The Brazilian, whose EUR222 million ($332m) signing from Barcelona doubled the world-record transfer fee, was prevented from making his debut as his registration had gone through too late.
The issue failed to spoil the party mood in the Parc des Princes however, with Neymar’s appearance for a presentation before kick-off prompting huge cheers from the crowd.
Fireworks greeted Neymar’s appearance from the tunnel an hour prior to the match before he stood on a podium to address the crowd who chanted his name.
“Merci,” Neymar said, before adding via an interpreter that “my intention is to win many trophies with you.”
Neymar, who was joined by PSG’s CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi, then paraded around the pitch, showing his ball-juggling skills and ending up bare-chested after throwing his shirt into the crowd.
Neymar had said at a media presentation on Friday that he hoped to take part in PSG’s opening league match, although PSG did not need him, winning easily enough through Edinson Cavani and Javier Pastore.
PSG, runners-up to Monaco last season after four successive titles, failed to meet a midnight deadline for a transfer certificate to be submitted to France’s professional football league, the LFP, from Spain’s football authorities, an LFP spokeswoman said on Saturday.
Saturday’s ceremony fuelled a marketing blitz by PSG, who on Friday sold 10,000 replica shirts printed with Neymar’s name and registered EUR500,000 in merchandise sales, according to news channel BFM TV.
Al-Khelaifi told reporters on Friday that the value of the club had risen by half a billion dollars since the signing of Neymar who will earn a salary of EUR45 million.
The excitement of the Brazilian star’s arrival in Paris has spread to supporters of other clubs.
Tickets for PSG’s first away match, at Guingamp next weekend, have already sold out and fans in Brittany may be rewarded by seeing Neymar make his debut for PSG.
In Saturday’s other Ligue 1 clashes Lyon thrashed promoted Strasboug 4-0 while a fourth-minute strike from Jonathan Bamba proved the difference for St Etienne in a 1-0 win over Nice.
Montpellier beat Caen by the same score, Guingamp came from behind to beat Metz 3-1 and Troyes marked their return to the top flight with a 1-1 draw at home to Rennes.
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