Thiago Mendes Snubs Neymar in Tense Handshake Before Brazilian Serie A Match

Sunday’s Brazilian Serie A clash between Vasco da Gama and Santos was overshadowed by a significant moment during the pre-match handshake when Thiago Mendes notably snubbed Neymar at São Januário. This incident reignited an ongoing feud between the two players that began in 2020 during a Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon.

In that previous encounter, Thiago fouled Neymar with a hard challenge, which resulted in a red card for Thiago. After the match, he publicly apologized on social media, expressing concern that Neymar was not seriously injured. However, Neymar did sustain a sprain to his left ankle from the tackle. Following the incident, Neymar’s father voiced his outrage on social media, criticizing the violent nature of the challenge and lamenting how such behavior was often overlooked in football.

The feud flared up again earlier this year when the two met in a Brazilian football match. During that match, Neymar confronted Thiago after a foul, leading to an on-field argument. Both players received yellow cards for their altercation, which continued throughout the game. At halftime, Neymar referenced the tackle from their previous encounter, expressing his frustrations with Thiago’s conduct. “He always wants to start trouble, he always wants to act tough,” Neymar stated in an interview. “With all due respect, he’s an idiot. He already hurt me once at PSG, he threatened me today, so let’s see if he’s man enough to hurt me again.”

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn