Carnival. Brazil. FC Barcelona. PSG. In That Order: Assessing Neymar's Priorities Amid Bale Scandal

'WALES. GOLF. MADRID. IN THAT ORDER'.

Gareth Bale's sequence of priorities had long been suspected. And though he wasn't responsible for its creation, the brandishing of a flag containing the mantra while his country celebrated qualification to Euro 2020 was all the scathing media based in the Spanish capital needed to go to town on the 31-year-old.

'Disrespectful. Misguided. Ungrateful. In that order' went the headline splashed across yesterday's edition of MARCA. Yet while they too dug into the Welshman themselves, Catalan counterparts such as Mundo Deportivo have inevitably spun the debacle round in order put on it an FC Barcelona twist.

'Brasil, fiesta, Barça, In that order' was the title of an intriguing piece by Cristina Cubero published in Catalonia this morning.

Within it, Cubero attempts to categorise the 27-year-old star's prime concerns and comes to the conclusion that 'in third place would surely be Barça.'

'Not because of what it means to play in one of the biggest clubs in the world,' she explains further, 'but because of what it means to live in Barcelona.'

Personally I would argue that, for the Ballon d'Or hopeful, it is a more expansive case of 'CARNIVAL. BRAZIL. BARÇA. PSG. IN THAT ORDER'.

In March this year, while supposedly recovering from a right metatarsal injury that all but ended his 2018/2019 club campaign, he embarked on a three city carnival tour in his homeland that saw him more preoccupied with girating and kissing a string of pop stars than preparing for a return to the pitch.

The decision going down as poorly with his countryman and Brazil fans as it did with their Paris counterparts, he made a return on the last day of the season for an April Coupe de France final defeat. Hitting a fan that goaded him in the stands, however, he crossed the Atlantic to report to Tite in a cloud of controversy before managing just 21 minutes in a Copa American preparation friendly against Qatar.

Therefore missing out on his compatriots' lifting of a first major trophy in 12 years at the Maracanã month later, attempting to force a failed move back to Barcelona over the duration of the European transfer window became top priority for the 27-year-old and did not, of course, sit well with PSG's ultras.

Upon his September return to club action, following 23 minutes at the end of a Seleção clash with Peru in the United States, they booed him throughout a 1-0 home win over Strasbourg and unfurled a banner that advised his father to sell him into prostitution in a Rio favela notorious with the trade.

Shutting them up momentarily with a stunning overhead kick that proved to be the winner, their silencing was temporary with the heckles and hisses continuing despite Neymar deciding three of PSG's games with late strikes.

Off with Brazil he went in October to seek refuge in the fabled yellow and green jersey so dear to him. Claiming that: 'there are no words for what it means to represent your country', he made his 100th appearance in it against Senegal in Singapore. Once more however, the 101st ended abruptly in the 12th minute when facing Nigeria and damaging his hamstring.

His third comeback of 2019 tipped to take place this evening against Lille, Neymar has in the meantime been seen reuniting with his ex-Barça teammates on a regular basis.

Attending Sofia Suarez's birthday celebrarions on the same evening as the Blaugrana's last outing against Celta Vigo in La Liga, he has in recent days been spotted with Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique in Madrid at the David Cup tournament the centre-back has put together.

The capturing of a World Cup all that separates him joining the likes of Pele, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho to be considered a great in the país do futebol, it does indeed appear that after partying and the national team, FC Barcelona is a staunch third ahead of the outfit that pays his wages in PSG.

Pique claiming that he and other big names in the locker room offered to take a pay cut pave way for his return, there often appears to be credence to Cubero's claims that 'the club is no longer challenging for Neymar as professional'.

'[He is] not encouraged to go back and win titles,' she writes of a player that no matter the circumstances, always seems to make carnival in Brazil and his sister's own birthday celebrations.

'[Instead] he wants his old life [back],' Cubero suggests. 'Laughter, relaxation, dinners with friends, fun, [and enjoyment,' above all else.

As has always been the case for 'Ney'.