Liverpool stars Curtis Jones, Szoboszlai clash in heated on-pitch exchange

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Liverpool midfielders Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai were involved in a heated on-pitch argument following the Reds’ 1-0 pre-season victory over Wrexham in New York.

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According to BBC Sport, the pair exchanged words shortly after the final whistle as Liverpool players walked around Yankee Stadium to applaud supporters. Defender Kostas Tsimikas later joined the confrontation, with television footage appearing to show him throwing the captain’s armband onto the pitch during the exchange.

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The reason behind the disagreement remains unclear, although BBC Sport noted that Szoboszlai handed the captain’s armband to Tsimikas rather than Jones when he was substituted during the match.

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Asked about the incident, Szoboszlai declined to discuss the details but insisted the squad remains united.

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We want the best for the club and for each other,” the Hungary international told BBC Sport.

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“Now that a couple of guys have left and maybe we are not the oldest in the team but we’ve been here a long time, we are all in the same boat and we want the best for the club and for each other.”

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He added that the players are fully behind captain Virgil van Dijk and manager Andoni Iraola as Liverpool continue adapting under their new head coach.

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“We have a captain in Virgil [van Dijk] and we will follow him everywhere with what he and the gaffer says and I think I can talk from everybody’s side that we want to be successful this season.

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“It’s a long term [project] because obviously we have a new manager and the team has been changed. Maybe not in a couple of months but in the long term, I think it will work out.”

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Liverpool sources, however, played down the incident, maintaining that disagreements between teammates are common in elite football and suggesting the exchange only became public because the players were completing a post-match lap of appreciation rather than returning directly to the dressing room.

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The incident comes amid continued speculation over Jones’ future after Liverpool rejected a reported £21.7 million bid from Inter Milan earlier this summer.

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The England midfielder has one year remaining on his contract, with Iraola recently describing him as “a great, great player” and expressing his desire for him to remain at Anfield.

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