Neymar's agent hits out at Pele

 　　RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The agent of Brazil starlet Neymar has accused Pele of hypocrisy¹ and jealousy² after the football legend's stinging attack on the 21-year-old's attitude.

　　In a controversial newspaper interview published on Wednesday, Pele said Neymar had become an "ordinary player" for Brazil's national team. He added the striker needed to be more of a team player and focus less on his haircut and public image.

　　Neymar's representative Wagner Ribeiro said Pele had no right to comment on the star's lifestyle.

　　"He shouldn't stick his nose in other people's personal lives, because his own is a mess," Ribeiro said.

　　"He should worry about taking care of his grandsons instead of talking about Neymar's life. He has never been affectionate with them. This is jealousy. He should look after his own family."

　　Ribeiro said the three-time World Cup winner would not be as good as Neymar if he played in the current era.

　　"If Pele played today he would be inferior to Neymar because in his era defenders³ were slow and players' physical conditions were different. That's why he was Pele. Today the defenders fly and Neymar still manages to be one of the best in the world."

　　Normally a frequent user of social media, Neymar maintained his silence on Wednesday amid a gathering⁴ media storm.

　　His Santos teammate, Arouca, was charged with fielding questions from a throng⁵ of journalists at the club's training base.

　　"Pele has his opinion, just like everybody else," Arouca said. "Neymar is mature enough to deal with it and overcome it."

1 hypocrisy   

n.伪善，虚伪

参考例句：

• He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。
• He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。

2 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

3 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。