Unless you’ve been under a rock for a few days, you’ll almost certainly know all about the very public disagreement Neymar and Edinson Cavani had over the weekend.
Assuming you have been under a rock, allow us a few lines to bring you up to speed…
Paris Saint-Germain won their game at home to Lyon on Sunday evening, 2-0. In between their goals (both own goals), PSG were also awarded a penalty. Cavani placed the ball on the spot, only for Neymar to make it known that he felt he should be the one taking the spot kick. The Uruguayan made it clear to his new teammate that he was having absolutely none of it, and after a brief discussion between the pair, Neymar left him to it.
Cavani’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal.
Since the game, reports have claimed that Cavani clashed with Neymar in the PSG dressing room after the end of the game, with Thiago Silva and Marquinhos having to intervene. Within 20 minutes of the full-time whistle, Cavani had left the Parc des Princes.
Further reports have claimed that the disagreement over who would take the penalty has now become a much bigger problem for Unai Emery and PSG’s owners. Neymar has, as well as unfollowing Cavani on Instagram, reportedly made it known that he wishes for the former Napoli striker to be sold, communicating to the club’s chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi that it is ‘impossible’ for the pair to coexist in the same team.
With it still unclear if Cavani will feature in PSG’s next game, L’Equipe (via the Mirror) has suggested why he might have been so insistent on taking the spot kick which has sparked his falling out with the world’s most expensive player.
The 30-year-old is said to have a clause in his contract which stipulates that he will earn a €1m bonus if he finishes the season as the club’s top scorer, as was the case in the last campaign. If so, perhaps this might explain why he was so reluctant to allow Neymar – who will almost certainly rival him as PSG’s most prolific goalscorer – take the penalty.
Or perhaps, like all strikers, he just likes scoring goals?
Either way, it’s a shame he didn’t put it away.
