Thiago Mendes snubs Neymar handshake before Brazilian league match
Thiago Mendes refused to shake hands with Neymar ahead of the Santos vs Vasco match, reigniting a long-standing feud between the two footballers.
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AIThiago Mendes, a Vasco da Gama player, refused to shake hands with Santos star Neymar before their Brazilian league clash on Sunday evening, as a long-running dispute between the two continues.
The feud dates back to December 2020, when Neymar was playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Mendes was with Olympique Lyonnais. During a match, Mendes made a strong tackle that left Neymar in tears and forced him off the pitch. Mendes was initially shown a yellow card, but after a VAR review, he was sent off with a red card.
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Although Mendes apologized the following day, Neymar's father issued angry statements against him, fueling ongoing tension even after both players moved to the Brazilian league.
Santos mocks incident after victory
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On the pitch, Santos secured a 3-0 win over Vasco da Gama. Santos are currently 14th in the standings, while Vasco sit 19th, just above last place.
After the match, Santos mocked the handshake incident by sharing a video of the moment, followed by a clip of another person shaking hands with Neymar after the victory.