Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra, John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, Samir Nasri and William Gallas, Terry (again) and Wayne Bridge, and now Pep Guardiola and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The snubbed handshake is fast becoming football’s equivalent of unfriending someone on Facebook.
But while previous examples have had their origins in personal slights, it seems the latest entry to the list has its origins in good old fashioned club rivalry.
Tensions between Real Madridand Barcelona are well known.Styles, cultures and attitudes both on and off the field are all wildly different and with thecompetitive edge thrown in, it makes for a fractious relationship.
One can only speculate on thereason behind Guardiola’s seemingly deliberate decision to ignore Ronaldo, though withthe recent history in El Clasicogives a pretty large hint.
Red cards, close games, touchline clashes, title clinchers and cup finals have all made the meeting of Spain’s top two the most enticing of matches in world football.
But when former Barca boss Guardiola was approached by Madrid ace Ronaldo, the Spaniard stared for a second before turning away, leaving the Portuguese’s hand hanging in the air.
The look on Ronaldo’s face told a story of bemusement, while Pep went back to soaking up the atmosphere. Www.dailypost/ng