New Balance Knoxville

Joey Barton says Neymar overrated

Controversial former England international Joey Barton sank his claws into Brazil starlet Neymar on Tuesday, taking to Twitter to dismiss the South American’s abilities.

“Neymar is the Justin Bieber of football. Brilliant on the old YouTube. Cat piss in reality,” was Barton’s damning view of the Santos forward long dubbed as Brazil’s hero-in-waiting as they bid to win a sixth World Cup on home soil next year.

Former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder Barton, who now is on a season loan with Marseille from Queens Park Rangers, had already mocked Neymar as ‘overrated’ after Brazil’s friendly loss to England last month.

• EPL collated: Everton shatter City hopes, Arsenal sniff Chelsea with Swansea win
  Ten-man Everton all but ended Manchester City's title defence with a gritty and controversial 2-0 win over the Premier League champions at Goodison Park on Saturday. Everton survived the d...
• LOCOG issue statement on tennis tickets
  The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games have released a statement following some fans' anger on day seven of the Olympic tennis event at Wimbledon. Supporters with tickets for...
• Teenager Stephens realizes last eight is “pretty cool”
  MELBOURNE - Sloane Stephens had a "pretty cool" realization after she beat Bojana Jovanovski on Monday, she's going to become a member of the Australian Open's "last eight club". The club ...
• Germany guards against complacency vs Kazakhstan
  Germany is playing down World Cup expectations and battling complacency ahead of its second back-to-back qualifier against Kazakhstan on Tuesday. Joachim Loew's side leads Group C with fou...
• Leading players to get their way on doping controls
  MELBOURNE - Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and other leading tennis players calling for increased blood testing in tennis could get their wish in 2013 with the introduction of athlete biologic...
• Djokovic’s ironman qualities tested again in Melbourne
  MELBOURNE - Novak Djokovic once had a reputation for wilting when the physical strain became too much - not anymore. In 2009, extreme heat forced him to retire during the quarter-finals at...
• Maria Sharapova vows to improve after Olympic defeat
  Maria Sharapova has insisted that her recent defeat to Serena Williams at the Olympics will motivate her to improve for the upcoming US Open. The Russian was swept away 6-0 6-1 at Wimbledo...
• Li Na dumped out in Eastbourne by Vesnina
  EASTBOURNE, United Kingdom: China’s Li Na missed her chance for a semi-final spot at the ATP-WTA Eastbourne International on a muggy on Thursday (Friday in Manila) as the second seed lost t...