Fluminense furious as rivals make fun of final loss

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 4 (Reuters) - Libertadores Cup runners-up Fluminense failed to see the funny side on Friday after their final defeat to LDU was publicly celebrated by local rivals Flamengo.

Fluminense won the second leg of the two-leg tie 3-1 on Wednesday for a 5-5 aggregate draw but LDU won the penalty shootout to become the first Ecuadorean side to win the tournament.

Thiago Neves, who scored a hat-trick for Fluminense, was furious after Flamengo's players joked and shouted the names of LDU players during an open training session.

Neves remembered that Flamengo suffered a humiliating exit from the same tournament in the second round when they lost 3-0 at home to Mexico's America after winning the first leg 4-2.

"They belittled their opponents and got knocked out," Neves told reporters. "They didn't get to the final and now they want to make silly jokes."

"We have to put these provocations aside. We respect all the players."

Coach Renato Portaluppi said: "When they were knocked out by America, nobody made fun of them.

"These players need to remember that their contracts are not eternal. In the future, they could come knocking on Fluminense's door."

Flamengo midfielder Cristian said that he had laughed when a team mate phoned him to tell him the result.

"It made us happy," he said. "When it happened to us, everybody laughed. That's they way it is. Sometimes you win, other times you lose."

(Writing by Brian Homewood in Buenos Aires; Editing by Padraic Halpin)