Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves accused the Spanish media of overreacting with allegations of a post-match scuffle between Barcelona forward Neymar and Antonio Barragan after Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Catalan club.
After the match, Barcelona forward Neymar appeared to have slapped Valencia right-back Antonio Barragan in the handshake line.
Amid media reports that Neymar threw a water bottle at Barragan in the tunnel, Valencia forward Santi Mina on Monday acknowledged that something was thrown, but admitted that he didn't stick around to see what it was.
Barcelona go into Wednesday's La Liga game at mid-table Deportivo La Coruna under pressure following a poor run of form as the Catalan outfit have taken just one point from their last four La Liga games.
Provocação? Neymar dá tapa em adversário após derrota do Barcelona para o Valencia https://t.co/vs7G03Cgxi pic.twitter.com/pGNcoch0FZ
- Mundo ESPN (@ESPNagora) April 18, 2016
Alves said the media was making too much of what he called typical post-match interaction.
Barragan and Neymar had several scuffles during Sunday's match, which added to existing tension that began during Barcelona's 7-0 win over Valencia in the Copa del Rey semifinal this past February. That loss was Valencia's worst defeat in 24 years, and marked the beginning of the end of Gary Neville's brief tenure.
According to media reports, Neymar told the right-back during the Copa del Rey match: "You should shut up. I make 10 times what you make."
Alves said his Brazil teammate, whose scoring drought was extended to five matches on Sunday, was used to the media criticism and knew how to deal with hit.
"Neymar was just being himself," Alves told Globo Esporte in a telephone interview. "I talked to him before the game and he was calm, there were no problems. I think [the media] they have it in for him, it happens to everyone, but more so for Neymar or Messi, they are always creating controversy.
"[Neymar and Messi] are used to this type of situation," he said. "I didn't really see what happened because I was giving an on-field interview after the match, but I saw that they had a scuffle and these things happen. When it is all said and done, everyone goes home and that is the end of it."