Pablo Osvaldo punching Erik Lamela & the Top 10 team-mate bust-ups

Join Goal.com as we run through some of the most infamous bust-ups between colleagues over the years

Nov 29, 2011 12:00:00 PM

Pablo Osvaldo - Roma (Getty Images)
Getty Images
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By Max De Luca

Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo made the headlines for all the wrong reasons on Friday night after he punched team-mate Erik Lamela in the dressing room following the 2-0 loss to Udinese.

The capital city club fined the Italy international €50,000 and suspended him for one game for his actions.

Osvaldo is not the only player to inflict friendly fire wounds on a team-mate as Goal.com takes a look at everything from training ground dust-ups to on the field bust-ups.

10. JOEY BARTON vs OUSMANE DABO (Manchester City)
Joey Barton has earned a reputation for being a loose cannon who embraces confrontation, and his rap sheet on and off the field reads like a 19th century Russian novella.

One of his most infamous punch-ups occurred when he was with Manchester City in 2007. Barton attacked Ousmane Dabo and left the Frenchman bloodied and battered during a training session. Dabo pressed charges and Barton received a suspended four-month sentence.

The Englishman never played for City again after the incident and was sold to Newcastle later that summer. Barton finally gave his side of the story years later labelling Dabo a "pussy" and stated that "where I come from there is no rule. You fight until it's over."
9. PASQUALE BRUNO vs VARIOUS TEAM-MATES (Torino)
Pasquale Bruno was not someone to be messed with. The uber-aggressive Italian lived up to his nickname 'The Animal' after trying to attack a referee when playing for Torino in the early 90s.

Bruno had to be restrained by his team-mates who felt the wrath of the no-nonsense defender after he refused to leave the field of play without a fight.

Order was eventually restored but not before Bruno dished out some serious punishment to his own colleagues. When the dust cleared, Bruno was slapped with an eight-game ban for starting the melee.
8. ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC vs MIDO (Ajax)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is known not to play well with others. The Swede is just as likely to execute a crunching karate kick on a team-mate as he is to score a brilliant overhead kick.

The mercurial striker has been involved in his fair share of disagreements over the years but his dressing room altercation with Mido when the two played for Ajax probably takes the cake.

We'll let 'Ibra' take it from here as per his recently released autobiography: "He grabbed a pair of scissors and threw them at me. It was completely mad.

"The scissors swooshed past my head, straight into the locker room wall and hit with a crack and, of course, I stood up and punched him."
7. FERNANDO RICKSEN vs VLADISLAV RADIMOV (Zenit)
Fernando Ricksen was no stranger to disciplinary problems during his tumultuous three-year stint at Zenit St. Petersburg.

He fought captain Vladislav Radimov just a month after joining the Russian outfit and then renewed hostilities with him during a friendly against Malaga in January 2007.

The feisty Dutchman landed a flurry of punches on his captain, who refused to fight back as players from both teams tried to break up the fracas in the penalty area.

Both were sent off and Ricksen went after Radimov once again on the bench as Zenit coach Dick Advocaat was forced to step in and put an end to the fisticuffs.
6. PABLO OSVALDO vs ERIK LAMELA (ROMA)
Pablo Osvaldo made the news, not for scoring against Udinese last Friday, but instead for punching his team-mate Erik Lamela in the face after the Giallorossi's 2-0 setback at the Stadio Friuli.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to committing such pugilistic acts as he previously floored colleague Nicola Mingazzini in pre-season training when he played for Bologna in 2009.

Osvaldo has received the maximum fine allowable by the Lega Calcio and will not travel with the team to Florence for the encounter against the Viola at the weekend.
5. JENS LEHMANN vs MARCIO AMOROSO (Borussia Dortmund)
Jens Lehmann's antics between the posts made him a polarising figure during his 23-year career.

We all have our favourite 'Mad Jens' moment, like the time he urinated during a Champions League match, or his diving tomfoolery with Didier Drogba.

Lehmann's team-mates were not immune to his temper tantrums as Marcio Amoroso found out during a Bundesliga encounter in February 2003.

The former Germany international was unhappy about conceding a goal and felt the Brazilian was to blame, sprinting half the length of the field to voice his displeasure. He then threw the forward around like a rag doll and received his marching orders from the referee, all the while the goal was disallowed for offside.
4. JOHN HARTSON vs EYAL BERKOVIC (WEST HAM)
John Hartson was caught on video dishing out some serious punishment to team-mate Eyal Berkovic on the training ground in 1998.

The Welshman took down Berkovic with a sliding tackle before trying to help his colleague up off the grass. The Israeli was not content with the apology and lashed out at Hartson, who took exception by kicking his team-mate square in the kisser.

Hartson explains his moment of madness: "Suddenly I have no control over my legs. I am absolutely blazing with fury.

"My left boot cracks out and cracks Eyal under the jaw. I kick him hard like I am trying to score a goal with his head.

"I wish I could turn the clock back and erase the memory. I will always deeply regret it."
3. CRAIG LEVEIN vs GRAEME HOGG (Hearts)
Craig Levein and Graeme Hogg were seasoned veterans but the two centre-backs were guilty of a shocking lack of professionalism during a pre-season friendly against Raith Rovers in August 1994.

The two Hearts defenders squabbled over a marking assignment and soon the handbags began with Levein eventually landing a clean shot to the nose of Hogg, who collapsed to the turf.

Hogg had to be stretchered off the pitch and was slapped with a 10-game ban while Levein was stripped of the captain's armband and suspended for 12 matches.
2. DAVID BATTY vs GRAEME LE SAUX (Blackburn)
David Batty and Graeme Le Saux squared up to each other just four minutes into Blackburn's Champions League contest against Spartak Moscow in 1995.

The two were apparently arguing over an errant pass and came to blows before they were separated by Rovers captain Tim Sherwood.

Blackburn went on to lose the match 3-0 and the incident led Spartak coach Oleg Romantsev to quip: "Before the match I told my players they will be playing against 11 guys ready to fight for each other for 90 minutes - not with each other."  
1. LEE BOWYER vs KIERON DYER (Newcastle)

The two Newcastle midfielders went at it in front of a shocked St James' Park in April 2005.

Down 3-0 to Aston Villa, Lee Bowyer was upset Kieron Dyer did not pass him the ball and launched an unprovoked attack on his team-mate.

Gareth Barry jumped in and broke up the fight before any more damage could be done.

The referee sent off both players in disgrace as a stunned audience both in the stands and watching on television looked on.

 

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