Stories of Neymar Rift a Koke, says Thiago Silva

Brazil star Thiago Silva has laughed off reports that his relationship with Neymar has soured, attributing the speculation to a joke that was taken the wrong way.


Silva hit the net for his nation on Wednesday to help the Selecao past Serbia and into the World Cup last 16.

Tite's men have won two of their three games to date in Russia, and will face Mexico in the next round as they look to improve on the semi-final run achieved on home soil in 2014.

Tongues were sent wagging by Silva when the defender claimed Neymar had berated him for a misplaced pass during the game against Costa Rica.

But Silva insists that his remarks were in jest and that there was never any bad blood between the two PSG stars.

"There are people who talk a lot, but I have never had any problem with Neymar," he explained to Le Parisien.

"It was a joke that I made and then people started saying bad things. But that has nothing to do with what was said."