A Rare Incident of Intra-Team Conflict in Football

On Monday, attendees at Old Trafford witnessed an unusual and rare incident in football. Idrissa Gana Gueye, a player for Everton, was sent off just 13 minutes into the match after physically confronting his teammate, Michael Keane. The pressures of competitive matches can sometimes lead players to engage in behavior that is highly atypical.

While such incidents are uncommon, they are not entirely unheard of. A similar occurrence took place in Mallorca in 2010, during a match between Mallorca and Málaga. As the game neared its conclusion and with Mallorca trailing, Keita delayed in passing the ball to Aduriz, which irked the Basque forward. Aduriz confronted Keita multiple times, and during one exchange, he physically nudged his teammate, prompting a light slap to his face in response.

This altercation was almost replicated when tensions flared again, culminating in a minor scuffle that required Julio Álvarez to intervene and separate the players. This reaction stemmed from the high stakes of the match, where classification was on the line.

Both players were subsequently disciplined by the club and issued apologies for the incident, a reminder of the intense emotions that can surface on the football pitch.