Neymar and Edinson Cavani’s spat over a couple of set-pieces has escalated into a full-blown feud.
The PSG team-mates are at loggerheads and friction between the two egos threatens to derail what should be the club’s most threatening assault on the Champions League yet.
Unai Emery will need synergy between his primary goalscorers if he is to get the monkey off PSG’s back and succeed in Europe.
DREAM TEAM EXCLUSIVE OFFER: BET £5, GET A FREE £20 BET
The Spanish manager could do worse than pointing Neymar and Cavani in the direction of a great strike partnership of the past as an example to follow.
Back in 2008, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet were both in the running for Serie A’s Golden Boot.
With just one league game to play, both the Juventus forwards had 19 goals to their name.
Champions Inter and Roma were both out of reach and the Old Lady had plenty of breathing room in third place meaning that the race for the Golden Boot was all that was riding on the season’s curtain call.
Six minutes into the game against Sampdoria, Del Piero opened the scoring, putting him one ahead of Trezeguet on 20 goals.
Shortly after, the legendary Italian No10 won a penalty.
Del Piero was Juventus’ designated spot-kick taker and so the referee’s decision gave him the opportunity to get one hand firmly on the Capocannoniere.
However, in what remains one football’s greatest acts of sportsmanship and friendship, he instructed Trezeguet to take the penalty.
The Frenchman converted to draw him level with Del Piero on 20 goals.
Midway through the second half Juventus were awarded a second penalty and this time Trezeguet agreed that it was Del Piero’s turn.
Once again the spot-kick was successful and so Del Piero won the Golden Boot outright with 21 league goals.
In a way, his generosity in gifting his rival (as that is what Trezeguet effectively was for that one game) the chance to draw level reflects better on Del Piero than his goalscoring exploits.
A class act on and off the pitch.
Something for Cavani and Neymar to consider…
