Barca cruised past Athletic Bilbao in their Copa del Rey tie on Wednesday evening, with opposition forward Aritz Aduriz accusing Neymar of showboating and lacking respect, and called for him to change his attitude.
Yet the Selecao star, known for his bags of tricks and flicks, says he doesn’t provoke opponents, insisting that flair is part of his game.
"I don't provoke, my style of play is to dribble. I am a forward and I can't ask to play centrally," he told BeIN Sports.
"The people who don't like football don't like dribbling, but for me it's fine. I don't care what they say because I have to help my team with dribbling and goals, that's what I have to do.
"To me Aduriz is a great player, a great leader, but I think he is wrong with what he said.
"I get knocked and kicked, and what can I do? I can't do anything, I can't hit back, it's not my way of playing.
"My way of playing is to dribble, my aim is to make goals and I think he has got a little wrong what he's said. But I respect him because he's a great forward.”
The 23-year-old knows he’s often a target on the pitch, but says he’s used to be taken out due to his face and skill.
"When you can't catch a fast player or one who dribbles, there are tackles and there are kicks, and I am accustomed to that,” he said.
"I already know that inside the pitch, during a game, there will be hits and after you have to recover for the next game."
The Blaugrana face Atletico Madrid in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday afternoon.
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