From Robinho-Gravesen to Valverde-Tchouaméni: Soccer’s most notorious fights between teammates

Valverde vs Tchouaméni

Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni came to blows at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex on Thursday. The pair were involved in a heated altercation that required teammates to step in, prompting an emergency meeting in the locker room. Valverde even had to go to the hospital for stitches after suffering a cut.

Luis Enrique vs Overmars

Luis Enrique and Marc Overmars clashed during a Barcelona training session in 2003. Overmars went in hard on Luis Enrique during a practice play, and the Spaniard did not take it well at all.

Dyer vs Bowyer

This incident remains one of the most infamous, as it unfolded in the middle of a Premier League match between Newcastle United and Aston Villa in April 2005. With the Magpies building an attack late in the second half, play suddenly halted as the two teammates began fighting each other. Both were sent off in front of 50,000 home fans. The club later fined them six weeks’ wages - around £210,000.

Puyol vs Vicente

The incident occurred in October 2005, during a Spain national team training session ahead of a World Cup qualification game. Puyol made a challenge on Vicente down the left flank, catching him with an elbow. Vicente got up, shoved Puyol, and confronted him over the tackle, sparking a fight. Head coach Luis Aragonés and several players had to step in to separate them.

Gravesen vs Robinho

Gravesen’s fiery temperament was no secret, and in 2006 it boiled over in an incident with Real Madrid colleague Robinho. The Danish midfielder threw a punch at the Brazilian forward, and the two exchanged blows before teammates intervened. Head coach Fabio Capello expelled both players from the training session.

Ljungberg vs Mellberg

It all began after Freddie Ljungberg flicked the ball past Olof Mellberg during Sweden’s preparations for the 2006 World Cup. Mellberg flew into Ljunberg with a robust challenge that incensed his teammate. Ljungberg angrily confronted the defender, before teammates pulled the pair apart.

Barton vs Dabo

Joey Barton, long associated with controversy throughout his career, was involved in one of the most shocking incidents. In May 2007, while both players were at Manchester City, Barton confronted teammate Ousmane Dabo in training and assaulted him so severely that Dabo was left unconscious. He was hospitalized with head injuries and a detached retina.

Senna vs Forlán

Marcos Senna and Diego Forlán traded punches during a Villarreal training session in June 2007, at the club’s training complex. What initially seemed like a routine clash escalated into a full-blown fight after Senna reacted angrily to a tough challenge from Forlán - one of several between them.

Kolo Touré vs Adebayor

Manchester City teammates Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor came to blows in training ahead of a match against Arsenal in January 2011. The defender and striker had to be separated by Patrick Vieira, Vincent Kompany and other teammates, according to images published by the British newspaper The Mirror.

Ribéry vs Robben

Franck Ribéry was fined €50,000 after a fight with Arjen Robben in the Bayern Munich locker room at halftime of their Champions League match against Real Madrid in April 2012. The dispute stemmed from who would take a free kick. According to Bild, the two had argued several times over set pieces, including one just outside Madrid’s box that was ultimately taken by Toni Kroos.

Boateng vs Lewandowski

The trouble started with a heavy challenge from Jérôme Boateng on Robert Lewandowski during a Bayern Munich training session in May 2015. Words were exchanged, tensions escalated, and a scuffle broke out. The situation was defused before it went any further thanks to the intervention of Philipp Lahm, Rafinha and Mehdi Benatia.

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