Fikru

Calcutta: Bust-up during a training session is a common thing in football.

But two players of the same team having a fight is something we do not get to see very often during a match.

In April 2005, Newcastle teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer were sent off for fighting with each other during an EPL match against Aston Villa. A headline-grabbing incident which still gets numerous ‘hits’ on a social networking site.

Well, on Wednesday, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Atletico de Kolkata’s Fikru Teferra and Jakub Podany did not do something similar to what Dyer and Bowyer did, but their pushing and shoving did not miss the eyes.

It happened in the 80th minute, when Luis Garcia sent a through ball for Fikru. Both Podany and Fikru went for it, but Laxmikanth Kattimani rushed out to avert the danger.

An enraged Fikru made an angry gesture, pointing his foot to Podany. And then the pushing and shoving began. It did not last long, as a surprised Podany retreated.

Manager Antonio Lopez Habas, though, found “nothing wrong” in the incident. “It happens on the field or while training… they just want to win the game. Nothing is wrong,” Habas told reporters.

Podany also played down the incident. “It was a misunderstanding between the two of us. We talked about it in the dressing-room and everything is fine now. Please do not rake it up. Everything is fine in the ATK dressing room,” he said.

Fikru refused to comment on the issue. “I have a bad headache. Pardon me,” he said.

There was also some confusion about who would take the penalty shot. Luis Garcia had an animated discussion with Fikru before the Ethiopian stepped up.

Habas was once again unperturbed.

“Both Fikru and Luis Garcia take penalties.

“But Fikru said he was more confident. By the way, even Jofre (Mateu) scored from a penalty in a previous match.”