Rodri (foto: Getty Images)
Manchester City teammates Rodri and Bernardo Silva clashed after Spain's victory over Portugal, with the Spanish midfielder admitting he crossed the line.
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Spain's dramatic 1-0 victory over Portugal ended with an unexpected confrontation between long-time Manchester City teammates Rodri and Bernardo Silva.
The flashpoint came in stoppage time after Portugal's final chance of the match. Bernardo Silva headed a cross narrowly over the crossbar, wasting what proved to be his country's last opportunity to force extra time.
As the Portuguese players reacted with frustration, Rodri celebrated the miss. Television cameras appeared to show the Spanish midfielder celebrating directly in front of Bernardo before lightly patting him on the head.
The gesture immediately angered the Portuguese playmaker, who confronted his club teammate. The pair exchanged heated words before the referee blew the final whistle to confirm Spain's place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Videos of the incident quickly spread across social media, with many supporters surprised to see two players who shared so many successful years at Manchester City involved in such a tense exchange.
Rodri wasted little time admitting he had gone too far.
"I was wrong because I celebrated his missed chance. I apologised to him immediately," the Spanish international said after the match.
The midfielder, who recently joined Real Madrid, insisted the incident would not damage their friendship.
"It stayed between the two of us because we know each other very well and we have a special relationship."
Rodri repeated his apology during his post-match press conference.
"I want to apologise to Bernardo. I celebrated after his missed opportunity at the end of the match. That was my mistake."
Emotions often run high in World Cup knockout matches, and while the exchange briefly overshadowed Spain's victory, Rodri's immediate apology suggested there would be no lasting damage to the relationship between two of the Premier League's most accomplished midfielders.