Manchester City Striker Mario Balotelli Embroiled In Another Training Ground Row, But Here's 5 Proper Flare Ups (VIDEO)

5 Training Ground Scraps (VIDEO)

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was told to train alone on Wednesday after another row with manager Roberto Mancini.

Balotelli returned to his club after a two-day break in Milan, where he interrupted Internazionale's press conference unveiling new manager Andrea Stramaccioni.

He had Mancini's permission to jet out to Italy, but his manager was apparently exasperated with his efforts in training, so gave the 20-year-old striker a dressing down in front of the squad, and prying eyes of cameramen.

City coach Atillo Lombardo then appeared to instruct Balotelli to train elsewhere after what was the fourth known spat on the training ground.

He has previously had scraps with Jerome Boateng, Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards, and Mancini, noticing gleeful cameramen, tried to play each altercation down.

But here's what happens when it gets really heated...

John Hartson & Eyal Berkovic, 1999

Not so much a scrap as a one-man show. Watch how Hartson pays homage to the Sega Megadrive games of your youth to deliver the knockout blow.

Freddie Ljungberg & Olof Mellberg, 2002

Prior to their opening game of the Japan and South Korea World Cup, the English media worked themselves into a frenzy over how a bad tackle escalated into a lot of grabbing and falling. Ljungberg and Mellberg nevertheless started in the 1-1 draw against the Three Lions in Saitama.

Thomas Gravesen & Robinho, 2006

Only one winner here. The video only shows the aftermath - including Robinho's humorous diagnosis of the Dane - but he can consider himself lucky he came away relatively unscathed.

Madrid coach Fabio Capello said: "The way he [Gravesen] is, we won't have problems with him. He's just a little bit particular. I don't mess with him, he works well tactically. His behaviour is like this, and I don't like it, everything has to be done like he wants it to be done." Garvesen was sold later on in the month.

Joey Barton & Ousmane Dabo, 2007

Barton received a four-month suspended sentence for two years after repeatedly punching Dabo when they were both at Manchester City.

In 2008 he admitted a charge of actual bodily harm - whilst he currently served a six-month jail term for another attack while on bail.

Patrice Evra & Robert Duverne, 2010

France's farcical World Cup campaign saw the team refuse to train today in protest against Nicolas Anelka's expulsion from the squad. The soap opera which developed on Fatherly Sunday began when Evra, not one to shy away from indulging in confrontation, had to be separated by Domenech from fitness coach Robert Duverne.

The camera operators - their astonishment not affecting their competence - followed an irate Duverne as he was led away by Domenech, and captured him tossing away his accreditation badge in true Dirty Harry style.

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