Neymar’s father spoke out at what he called the “vultures” circling his son on Thursday, in an apparent reference to criticism of the Paris St Germain striker’s less than stellar performance in the previous night’s loss to Real Madrid.

Neymar was widely criticised as being ineffective during Real’s 3-1 win over PSG in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie in Spain.

“In a war there are those who feed off victories and those who, like vultures, feed off the carcasses of the defeated,” Neymar’s father wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of his son.

Neymar Snr, who is also his son’s agent, was nevertheless adamant that PSG can qualify for the quarterfinals with a win in second leg of the tie in Paris on March 6.

“My son has been battling since he was a child,” he wrote, “always fighting fair, always avoiding the vultures, always rising again stronger.

“We lost a battle but as for the war, we’ll see, because it will last as long as we’re on the field.”