"My knee is better than Neymar's." The phrase was repeated 19 times by Atlético Mineiro fans in a video that went viral on social media, an idea conceived by Felipe Esdras, a digital influencer from Belo Horizonte whose nickname is Sávio.

The idea actually originated with Neymar himself. The previous week, in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals, Santos defeated Atlético Mineiro 2-0. During the match, Neymar's taunting completely ignited the anger of "Galo" fans.

In a box at Vila Belmiro, Neymar, who was absent due to injury, had a confrontation with Atlético Mineiro fans and at one point said: "Even without knees, I play better than your entire team."

"That really bothered me. I had to do something that matched Neymar's level. I wanted to involve regular fans too, because I felt they shared the same feelings as me, wanting to strike back. I've always liked this sense of community, of making my followers part of what we're doing."

A video filmed for a birthday gave Esdras the inspiration.

"Once, I asked fans to ask relatives who didn't even know me to wish me happy birthday, and it was very interesting. To provoke strangers. At Vila Belmiro, Neymar actually responded to a fan about his knee problems."

"We all know Neymar has the mentality of an 8-year-old kid. I grabbed onto that point."

Later, Esdras gathered some random followers and filmed a video of older people talking about their knees.

"I asked them to find older people, like parents and grandparents, and record a video in first person, first stating their name and age, and then saying 'My knee is better than Neymar's.' I want to mention two people specifically. One is the lady who flipped the bird at the classic, whose grandson follows me. And then there's the guy in the wheelchair, he's completely crazy."

Atlético Mineiro then achieved a comeback in the second leg, winning 4-2 in regular time and prevailing in the penalty shootout.

The video, originally prepared to be released after Atlético Mineiro's comeback, went viral quickly after being posted. Its influence soon extended beyond Esdras's followers and fans, and Atlético Mineiro player Scarpa also commented on his post: "Okay, very good this time. Congratulations. This video is great."

Despite his dissatisfaction with Neymar's taunting, Esdras expressed his gratitude to the forward. In his view, the Santos player's words motivated Atlético Mineiro's players and fans, and also helped the team secure victory at MRV Arena.

"This Copa Sudamericana match wasn't that important. Neymar unnecessarily lit the fire. He elevated the importance of the game to a higher level, ultimately making it one of the three most important matches in MRV Arena history. All the credit goes to Neymar. He dragged his teammates into this mess, and he wasn't even playing."

Esdras emphasized that it was all just a joke, while also reminding everyone that Neymar himself said similar things after taunting Atlético Mineiro at Vila Belmiro.

"This is totally out of respect, and it's a joke. After they won at Vila Belmiro, he would say 'I know you love me.' We tried to play the role of avengers, but we never went too far. Neymar himself is always getting into all kinds of trouble..."

Traduzido por IA.

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