Football's nastiest training ground bust-ups ranked - Thomas Gravesen to John Hartson

Thomas Gravesen's time at Real Madrid will always be remembered for his fight with Robinho, and even Fabio Capello was scared of him, but it isn't the only training ground bust-up

Joseph McBride US Sports Reporter

12:36, 02 Aug 2022

Thomas Gravesen turned on Robinho during a training session(Image: Twitter@sid_lambert)

Dirty tackles and handbags are pretty common during football matches, especially during a heated rivalry or when the stakes are high.

But it's not expected amongst fellow team-mates, although history has proved that just because players are wearing the same shirt, doesn't mean that they're pals. Although there are some lovely examples of bromances in football, there are also tales of when team-mates have lost patience with one another.

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It's not always going to go swimmingly when a group of lads train together five times a week, and over the years there have been some infamous stories when friends became foes on the training ground. Here, Daily Star Sport ranks the nastiest bust-ups that have taken place behind the scenes in football...

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1. John Hartson and Eyal Berkovic

John Hartson once booted Eyal Berkovic in the jaw(Image: Daily Mirror)

John Hartson had a brilliant career in which he became a Celtic legend, and was also named Welsh player of the year on three occasions. But there is one moment that the former striker regrets to this day, and it's when he purposely booted Eyal Berkovic in the jaw.

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In 1998 the two clashed during a warm-up game in training, and Berkovic retaliated before Hartson delivered a brutal blow. After Berkovic reacted, Hartson kicked him with excessive force in the jaw, and was later fined £20,000 along with being handed a three-game ban.

"If my head had been a ball, it would have been in the top corner of the net," Berkovic said when asked about the incident. Hartson has since spoke out about the shame he felt, and it remains one of the most savage training ground moments to this day.

2. Joey Barton and Ousmane Dabo

Joey Barton was handed a suspended prison sentence for his attack on Ousmane Dabo(Image: Getty Images)

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Joey Barton was involved in multiple fights throughout his career with one of them coming as he attacked former team-mate Ousmane Dabo while at Manchester City.

Dabo allegedly pushed Barton during a fiery training session, and it's perhaps an action that the former City star would live to regret. Barton is said to have reacted by unloading punches onto Dabo, and he roughed him up so badly he was left with a black eye and a damaged retina.

An official complaint was filled and Barton was given a £3,000 fine, as well as a four-month suspended jail sentence for assault. The FA also fined Barton £25,000 and he was handed a six-match ban for his actions.

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Barton has since said: "Dabo slapped me at the training ground so he got put a kip. That was his own fault and if I see him any time and he wants to – you see all these Jake Pauls and that on YouTube, if Ousmane wants to give me a shout and he wants to do it for charity and get his own back…"

3. Thomas Gravesen and Robinho

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Thomas Gravesen was a tough-tackling midfielder that wasn't to be messed with, as Brazilian star Robinho soon found out. The former Everton star was given a golden opportunity to join Real Madrid, but ended up sealing his departure due to his behaviour.

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During a pre-season training camp in Austria, Gravesen flew into a tackle on newly-signed Brazilian youngster Robinho. Tempers flared and the former Everton midfielder lost it and started throwing punches at the young forward.

The manager at the time was Fabio Capello, who admitted that he was scared of the midfielder before selling him to Celtic shortly after the incident. "He's just a little bit peculiar. I don't mess with him," Capello said. "His behaviour is like this, and I don't like it, everything has to be done like he wants it to be done."

4. Andy Carroll and Steven Taylor

Andy Carroll punched Steven Taylor after hearing the defender started messaging his ex(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)

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With the money and fame that comes with being a footballer, usually attention from the opposite sex follows, and it can sometimes cause friction between players. But Steven Taylor began messaging Andy Carroll's former partner behind his back, and it's fair to say that the tall striker didn't take the news too well.

Carroll squared up to Taylor after letting out his anger, and then punched the defender so hard in the jaw that it ruled him out for the rest of the season. Whereas City punished Barton for a similar offence, Newcastle backed Carroll and didn't take the matter any further after hearing about what Taylor had done.

Newcastle were desperate to get out of the Championship that season, and they managed to win the title even without Taylor in defence. No harm was done to their promotion hopes that year, only to Taylor's jaw instead.

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5. Joe Gomez and Raheem Sterling

The rivalry between Liverpool and City has intensified in recent times, with both Premier League giants regularly scrapping for trophies. But the tension took a turn when former Liverpool star Raheem Sterling came to blows with young defender Joe Gomez.

Sterling was being heckled by the Anfield crowd, and in a bid to prove himself to the locals, Gomez used his size advantage to pick up the forward after a heavy challenge. Although tempers flared on the day, Sterling waited until the pair headed for international duty to do something about it.

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Gomez was approached by Sterling within the England camp, with the former City forward saying: "You think you're the big man now?" At first their England team-mates thought it was a joke, but the pair had to be separated, and Gomez was left with a clear scratch beneath his eye.

Sterling later apologised, claiming that he and Gomez had 'worked things out'. But Gomez has since seen his game-time limited, so it's not clear if things are as calm as they seem.

6. Mario Balotelli and Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini almost fought Mario Balotelli during a training session(Image: Paul Cousans/Zenpix Ltd)

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Mario Balotelli remains a case of 'what might have been' as the Italian possessed so much quality, but his behaviour and attitude stood in the way. As well as being a harmless, yet wild squad member to deal with at times, the former City forward did also turn violent on occasions.

Balotelli clashed with Micah Richards before later coming to blows with Scott Sinclair, but the most shocking bust-up was with former manager Roberto Mancini. The current Italy boss knows that Balotelli has the quality, and has since reflected that by selecting him for the national team despite his stature of club.

But after a wild challenge on Sinclair, Mancini grabbed Balotelli to try and drag him off the training pitch. The pair had to be separated after an ugly scuffle, and Balotelli was sold to AC Milan just one month later.

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