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15th Apr 2015

PokerStars to pursue Neymar after Ibrahimovic bid fails?

Will there be a 'full house' in Paris tonight...?

JOE

We often hear footballers praised for their poker faces in interviews and their bluffs in contract negotiations, but how would they actually fare at the tables?

We may soon find out, with strong rumours that Neymar is set to sign as an ambassador for the world’s largest poker site PokerStars.

The Barcelona star posted snaps of himself at the poker table on his Instagram account in April, with talk of a €4m ambassadorial deal on the cards (pun very much intended).

https://instagram.com/p/1BRfP5xtlq/

And he also gave his support to compatriot and World Series of Poker finalist Bruno Foster in a video released last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgDmYjrKemA

Ironically, talk of the approach follows reports in Le Parisien that PokerStars first made a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar’s predecessor at Barcelona, with the Swede turning them down. We wonder if the Brazilian would be happy to be seen as backup for Zlatan…

PSG star Ibrahimovic will miss the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Neymar’s Barcelona after his red card against Chelsea, but that will only give him more time to practice his poker skills.

He certainly has the style and arrogance to teach his successor a thing or two at the tables.