Luis Suarez’s penalty shootout miss at the Copa America might have pleased some onlookers who recalled his controversial past, but Neymar consoled his former — and perhaps — future Barcelona teammate.
Suarez’s penalty for Uruguay was saved by Peru’s Pedro Gallese to start the shootout, the lone spot kick that didn’t go in after the sides played to a 0-0 draw through extra time.
As a result, Peru upset Uruguay to set up a semifinal encounter against twice-defending champion Chile — which also won a 5-4 penalty shootout against Colombia — in the South American football championship.
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Suarez sat on the pitch in tears when the shootout ended, and it wasn’t long before Neymar — the world’s most expensive player — sent him a comforting message on Instagram.
“Get up,” Neymar, heavily linked to return to Barcelona, wrote. “You are very great, brother. I love you, friend.”
Neymar is missing the Copa America in his native Brazil due to an ankle injury after being stripped of the captaincy. He lined up with Suarez for three years at the Camp Nou, part of the famous South American ‘MSN’ strike force that included Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
They terrorized La Liga defenses and won the Champions League together in 2015.
Suarez has long been a polarizing figure, getting in trouble for biting opponents and seeing red at the 2010 World Cup for keeping out a goal with his hand against Ghana in the last stages of extra time in the quarterfinals. Uruguay won on penalties.
Neymar’s time at PSG coming to an end?
Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year deal after the French club paid $263 million dollars in 2017.
But while free-spending PSG is unstoppable in the French division, the much-desired Champions League crown is still missing.
READ: Neymar denies rape allegations
Nursing a foot injury, Neymar looked on as PSG blew a 2-0 first-leg advantage and exited at the hands of Manchester United in this year’s last 16.
And various reports suggest Barcelona — facing a Champions League slump of its own — could once again land him in a possible swap deal.
Barcelona vice-president Jordi Cardoner said just last week that the player wants to return to the team but claimed “Barcelona aren’t thinking about signing” him.
