Former Liverpool forward Florent Sinama Pongolle has admitted that he was left 'traumatised' after witnessing a bust-up between ex-teammates Steven Gerrard and El Hadji Diouf.
Diouf joined Liverpool in 2002 but managed just two years with the club before being shipped off to Bolton Wanderers - first on loan before signing permanently in 2005. He didn't make much of an impact on the pitch, but his attitude problems and frosty relationship with Gerrard are both infamous in Anfield folklore.
Diouf and Gerrard often clashed behind the scenes, and Sinama Pongolle told Le Club des 5's Walid Acherchour about one specific incident during a pre-season game which he could hardly believe was happening.
“Half-time of a preseason game. Fight between Diouf and Gerrard," he began. "I was traumatised.
"Can you imagine the young ones seeing this and thinking that’s what professionals are like at that level? At half-time, in the dressing room. Stevie G is all like ‘you have to pass, you have to pass’ and [Diouf] just loses it.
“He didn’t speak English. His English was rubbish. You know what he did? They hated each other so much. Steven Gerrard arrives, he insults Diouf. ‘Hey, you f*****g…’.
Well then. That's lovely.
Diouf's time at Anfield is not fondly remembered by anyone. Whether he was fighting with Liverpool teammates, being charged for spitting at fans and players or simply failing to actually be any good at football, Diouf was always in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
The former Senegal international has never shied away from discussing his dislike of Gerrard, once telling SFR Sport (via The Independent): "I respect the player, very big player, but the man, I do not respect. And I told him, I let him know that. With all my respect I let him know.
"Then as you know, there were some brown-nosers, who went to the manager to repeat what I said. That was the real problem. When Gerrard did that, we had an argument, like real men.
That is why he does not like me.
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Source : 90min