Edinson Cavani Insists PSG 'Have to Be a Family' After Neymar Tensions

Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has urged his team-mates to band together and "be a family" on the pitch after tensions erupted between him and summer arrival Neymar over penalty-taking duties.

PSG were able to put any changing-room distractions behind them on Wednesday, at least, as they defeated Bayern Munich 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League, after which Cavani told broadcaster Mediaset Premium (h/t Goal.com) of the squad's mentality:

"We are all different, we might all have different ways of living and seeing things.

"But when we are on the pitch, we have to all work together as if we're a family to go towards the same objective, which is for the team to win."

Cavani has long been PSG's designated penalty-taker, but the report explained how new boy Neymar's insistence on taking a spot-kick recently against Lyon—which Cavani ultimately missed—caused a divide.

Despite Wednesday's scoreline flattering last season's Ligue 1 runners-up, The Independent's Miguel Delaney suggested those tensions carried over into the Champions League meeting, too:

According to the Guardian's Ed Aarons, an attempted team-bonding meal organised by the PSG powers "was as animated as a wake" and failed to do much by way of resolving the feud between Neymar and Cavani.

Aarons also cited a PSG statement published in French newspaper Le Parisien, which denied that Cavani would receive a €1 million (£877,000) bonus if he conceded penalty duties to Neymar: "PSG formally denies reports which say Cavani would abandon penalties in exchange for the automatic payment of a bonus."

The Uruguayan's form from the 12-yard spot may not be at its hottest, but Cavani did his bit to prove all is well in terms of his scoring ability outside the box.

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

It's a tricky situation when PSG have just paid a world-record £200 million fee to sign Neymar from Barcelona, only for their most senior attacker to almost instantly take umbrage with his on-field behaviour.

While Cavani insists on a strong team front and family mentality in a time of difficulty for the squad, cracks in the relationship between him and the most expensive player of all time continue to emerge.