Speaking to ESPN Brazil after the defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur striker Richarlison has commented on the interaction, or lack thereof, between himself and Brazilian teammates Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes during the game.
Richarlison was back from injury for the first time since the World Cup, and made his way onto the pitch as a second-half substitute for Tottenham. He was unable to make a difference to the game though, with Spurs losing 2-0 on the day.
It was a new low for Tottenham in a highly frustrating and disappointing season, not only losing to their arch-rivals, but also seeing Arsenal go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League while Spurs lose pace with the top four.
For Richarlison, the game brought him head-to-head with Brazil teammates like Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes, but there was no patriotic love shared between the international teammates during the North London derby.
When Martinelli tried to shake Richarlison’s hand during a corner kick, the former was snubbed unceremoniously. Richarlison didn’t really acknowledge Magalhaes either, but the 25-year-old explained his actions in an interview after the game.
On the Martinelli situation, he said: “I’d like to apologise to Martinelli. I told him he was diving a lot, so I didn’t shake his hand.”
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As for Magalhaes, Richarlison added: “Also, with Gabriel Magalhaes, I told him they were stopping play all the time. I just said, ‘let’s play.'”
Spurs Web Opinion
It’s easy to see why the neutral and other fans don’t like Richarlison, but I absolutely love him. His commitment to being such a difficult person during games like this is something more of our players need, and I just wish the rest of the squad had the same fire and passion as he does. He leaves everything on the pitch, and has to be commended for that.
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