Rangers midfielder Mohamed Diomande has played down his part in a fiery post-match exchange with Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie, insisting there are no hard feelings after Sunday’s dramatic 2-2 draw at Pittodrie.
The Ibrox side staged a spirited second-half comeback to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat, with Diomande introduced at half-time as part of Barry Ferguson’s reshuffle.
But the intensity of the contest spilled over at full-time, when Aberdeen’s frustrations at surrendering a two-goal lead boiled into a brief scuffle involving Shinnie, Diomande and Rangers defender John Souttar, who was an unused substitute.
“It’s part of the game and I think he's a good guy, but on the pitch, he's a bit tough,” Diomande said of Shinnie. “I like that also because I'm also tough on the pitch, and I'm not going to be taken down easily. So if he steps on my toes then I'm going to stand up for myself.”
The Ivorian, who has quickly become a popular figure with the Rangers support since his arrival from FC Nordsjaelland in January 2024, was quick to highlight that the disagreement was settled with no lingering animosity once the final whistle emotions settled.
“I think that's what happened and after the game, we shook each other's hand and then we moved on,” he added.
