24 February 2024 , 17:01
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Manchester United midfielder Casemiro may have ruffled a few feathers after opting to swap shirts with Rodrigo Muniz at half time of their 2-1 defeat to Fulham.
The Brazilian started the game at Old Trafford as the Red Devils looked to continue their resurgence under Erik ten Hag. But he was part of a laboured opening 45 minutes which saw Fulham create numerous chances.
There was frustration when referee Michael Oliver blew for the interval, but Casemiro appeared more focus on getting a memento from his compatriot. As the players made their way to the tunnel in the corner of the pitch, the pair could be seen exchanging shirts before they left the field.
It was an incident which may have caught the attention of legendary former United midfielder Roy Keane. The Irishman has become notorious for his curmudgeon views as a pundit and interacting with opposition always ranks high on his list of pet peeves.
Keane angrily called out Eden Hazard for doing something similar in 2016, when the then Chelsea star swapped shirts with Angel Di Maria in a Champions League clash vs Paris Saint-Germain. “I’m afraid to comment on this,” he said at the time.
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“It’s bad enough at the end of the game, but half-time in a big game, the two guys swapping shirts? It’s shocking.
“What is going through a players mindset. In such a big game, they are thinking about swapping jerseys at half-time? I wouldn’t even bother at the end of the game. Shocking."
And it isn't the first time such a moment has happened at United's home stadium. Back in 2012, Arsenal flop Andre Santos boiled the blood of Arsene Wenger and Gunners fans alike when he collected Robin van Persie's shirt before retreating for a half-time team talk.
Casemiro did similar at half time of a World Cup quarter final between Brazil and Croatia (Getty Images)"He is completely in a different world when he does that. He understands today what it means and he will never do it again," Wenger said in his post-match interview.
Casemiro isn't a novice when it comes to the mid-game swap either, collecting Luka Modric's jersey at half time of a World Cup quarter final vs Croatia in 2022.
He did manage to find another home shirt for the second half but didn't last long as he was withdrawn after a nasty clash of heads. And it didn't get any better for his United team-mates, who fell behind to Fulham after a ferocious Calvin Bassey strike.
Harry Maguire then thought he had earned the home side a point after scoring in the final moments of normal time. But a damaging defeat was confirmed when Alex Iwobi scored the winner in injury time to spark jubilant scenes in the away end.
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