Richarlison will 'refuse' to shake Michail Antonio's hand this season after Lucas Paqueta private talks
Spurs striker Richarlison is set to refuse shaking hands with Michail Antonio, having not forgiven the West Ham striker for comments made last season.
The Brazilian scored just once in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign after making a £50 million move to Spurs.
That came in a dramatic 4-3 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, with Richarlison removing his shirt after equalising - only for Liverpool to go up the other end and score a last-gasp winner through Diogo Jota.
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He also had goals chalked off for offside against Fulham and Nottingham Forest and on the The Footballer's Football Podcast, both Antonio and Callum Wilson rinsed the ex Everton man.
"He's scored four times this season," Antonio said.
"Three of the times he's been offside [and] he's taken his top off four times this season.
"He's got four yellows – he's almost on a suspension," Wilson weighed in.
The comments were very much made in a jokey manner but Ryan Mason, Spurs' interim manager at the time, reacted and took issue with the remarks.
Richarlison hit back on TikTok in June by mentioning his World Cup goals for Brazil but it seems as though he is still not quite over the "banter" comments.
Antonio was discussing the 26-year-old's role on a new episode of the podcast given the departure of talisman Harry Kane at Spurs.
However, he didn't want to say too much. That's because he's learned from West Ham teammate and Richarlison's compatriot, Lucas Paqueta, that the former Watford man plans to snub him.
"I am no longer commenting on Richarlison," Antonio said on the latest episode.
"It’s got to the stage where I feel that some people are a little touchy.
"I am not going to talk about the person that is in that position. I am just going to say that Tottenham need a striker. I will leave it at that – It’s banter. We banter with each other.
"I have gone to Paqueta. They play with each other. I have said ‘What’s wrong with your boy? It’s a bit of banter. I don’t understand why he is taking it so personally', to the stage where his manager has to talk.
"Lucas is like ‘It’s just how he is, Mickey. I told him that’s how you are. But he says ‘no, no, no. When we play against them. I am not going to shake his hand’."
Spurs and West Ham do not meet until 5 December, while Richarlison could be up against Wilson four days later on 9 December.
Richarlison has feuded with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in the past but the pair appeared to bury the hatchet last year.
Topics: Richarlison, Michail Antonio
Josh Lawless