Top brawls between manager and players

Football may be called the beautiful game, but it has an ugly side that has reared it’s head a lot. One of the most common sights is when a football match becomes a free-for-all bar fight. A not-so-common sight is when managers decide to join in as well! While one woudn’t normally expect a manager to start throwing fists at any given chance, it has happened on more than a few occasions.

Let’s take a look at 4 of the most publicised player-manager brawls in recent history:

Delio Rossi attacks Adam Ljajic (not in picture) while others try to restrain the manager.

Adam Ljajic vs. Delio Rossi

It was a one-time brawl yet it’s repercussions were somewhat far-reaching. During a match against Novara, Ljajic was substituted and while going off, he appeared to sarcastically applaud Fiorentina manager Delio Rossi. In retaliation, Rossi attacked him and had to be restrained by the bench from taking the fistgight further. Just a few hours after the incident, the club announced that they had sacked Rossi. He was later handed a 3-month ban from Italian football. Rossi did eventually apologise for the incident but tried to defend himself by claiming his actions were “deplorable, but understandable, humanly”.

David Beckham (left) and Sir Alex Ferguson had a very public falling-out.

David Beckham vs. Sir Alex Ferguson

One of modern football’s longest drawn-out player-manager feuds that resulted in a physical fight. David Beckham was one of United’s most key players but his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson had begun to deteriorate as early as 2000, around the same time Beckham got married. The main reason for the strain was believed to be Beckham’s growing popularity and his commitments outside of football. The relationship reached a breaking point after an FA Cup loss to Arsenal. Sir Alex kicked a boot at Beckham that hit him above the eye, causing a cut that required stitches. Beckham almost retaliated and had to be held back by United players who were at the scene. He was eventually sold to Real Madrid.

Luiz Felipe Scolari showing off his boxing skills against Dragutinovic (Credit: AP)

Ivica Dragutinovic vs. Luiz Felipe Scolari

It’s a well-known fact that Scolari has a temper. One only needs to look at how animated he is on the touchline to figure that out. His temper once got the better of him when he was manager of Portugal. After a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Serbia, tensions were flaring between Ricardo Quaresma and Ivica Dragitinovic. The Serb brushed away Scolari’s arm and got a left-jab on his cheek for his troubles. Scolari later denied punching the player although video evidence suggests otherwise.

Roberto Mancini and Mario Balotelli are seperated after striking one another.

Mario Balotelli vs. Roberto Mancini

Having worked together for a while when they were at Inter, the two shared a love-hate relationship at Manchester City. Mancini’s public statements on him ranged from “He’s crazy – but I love him because he’s a good guy” to “I told him, ‘If you played with me, ten years ago, I give to you every day one punch in your head!’”. The breaking point in their relationship was when they were involved in a training ground dispute that saw them both come to blows. Balotelli was sold to AC Milan, although he has since said that he holds no animosity towards Mancini and is thankful for all he did for his career.