‘He can keep crying’: Neymar reacts after brutal handshake snub by Thiago Mendes
The two players have had a long rivalry.
Neymar has publicly hit back at Thiago Mendes after the Vasco da Gama midfielder snubbed his handshake before the Brasileiro Série A match against Santos on Sunday, August 16.
The incident happened before the Matchday 23 fixture at Estádio Vasco da Gama in Rio de Janeiro. Following the handshake snub, Neymar turned towards Mendes with a tense glare, which went viral on social media.
After the match, the former Barcelona attacker denounced Mendes’ actions, also bringing up an old incident that led to their feud.
“To be honest, I don’t care too much about that dude (Mendes). He’s a nobody to me,” he said. “In 2020, he broke my ankle, which I think he did purposely. And I didn’t take that for granted. We had a little fight in our last game against each other, which I think is normal in a football game.”
“I wasn’t even thinking about him that much in today’s game because I don’t care about him, and he refused to shake my hand, which I see as very disrespectful.”
Also Read: Neymar admits he may retire after Santos contract expires
Neymar & Thiago Mendes’ rivalry
The long-running tension between Neymar and Mendes started in 2020. The two Brazilians faced each other in a Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon. Mendes put in a late sliding tackle on the PSG No. 10, who went down in considerable pain. Mendes was sent off for the challenge.
The midfielder apologised on social media, expressing hope that his opponent had not suffered a serious injury. Neymar, who ultimately suffered a sprained ankle, did not speak about the incident, but his father criticised Mendes on social media.
The two players had another confrontation in February. The Santos forward was unhappy about a challenge on him in the first half and confronted Mendes. The latter touched Neymar’s face, after which the Santos forward went to ground. Both players were booked for the incident.
This rivalry has once again surfaced after Mendes snubbed Neymar’s attempt to shake his hand. However, the Santos player had the last laugh, as goals by Gabriel Barbosa, William Arao, and Luan Peres sealed a 3-0 victory for the Peixe.
“Well, the most important thing is that we still won against them today, and he (Mendes) can keep crying,” the Santos No. 10 said after the match. “Everyone knows Neymar Jr., but no one even knew the name Thiago Mendes until today.”
What happened between Neymar and Thiago Mendes before Vasco da Gama vs Santos?
Before the Brasileiro Série A Matchday 23 clash at Estádio Vasco da Gama on August 16, Thiago Mendes refused to shake Neymar’s hand.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.