An ugly on-pitch row erupted between three Liverpool players in the aftermath of their slender pre-season triumph over Wrexham at New York’s Yankee Stadium on Thursday evening.
Midfielder Curtis Jones was pulled away after he became embroiled in a fiery exchange with Dominik Szoboszlai moments after the final whistle of the 1-0 victory, with Greek full-back Kostas Tsimikas soon drawn into the fracas.
The confrontation unfolded as the squad made their way across the pitch to acknowledge travelling supporters, with Jones seen pointing and gesturing animatedly towards the Hungarian.
Rio Ngumoha’s 75th-minute goal had settled an otherwise unremarkable contest between the two sides.
Curtis Jones pulled away from Liverpool teammate as tempers boil over |
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The flashpoint appeared to stem from Szoboszlai’s decision to pass the captain’s armband to Tsimikas rather than Jones when he was replaced during the match.
Szoboszlai had completed 75 minutes before being withdrawn, whilst Jones was introduced shortly after half-time for a 40-minute stint.
Footage captured in the row’s aftermath showed Tsimikas furiously flinging the armband onto the turf in front of the Liverpool faithful, prompting both Jones and Szoboszlai to throw their arms up in visible exasperation.
Though the precise catalyst for the dispute has not been officially confirmed, the armband incident appears to have been at the heart of the discord.
Jones subsequently retrieved the armband from the ground before embracing Szoboszlai, though the reconciliation proved short-lived.
It has now been confirmed that Curtis Jones was furious with Dominik Szoboszlai for handing the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas.
Tsimikas wasn’t having it and threw the armband on the floor, which led to Jones continuing his argument with Szoboszlai.
If that’s really the…
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A second clip revealed the 25-year-old renewing his grievances with Tsimikas, with new signing Jeremie Frimpong stepping in to act as peacemaker — though Jones continued to make his displeasure abundantly clear.
Other teammates also attempted to calm the situation as tensions threatened to boil over further.
Speaking to journalists after the match, Szoboszlai opted not to address the incident directly, instead stressing collective ambition and the squad’s shared determination to deliver success in the forthcoming campaign.
The episode nonetheless raises uncomfortable questions about harmony within the dressing room.
Jones’s future at Anfield remains shrouded in uncertainty, with just twelve months left to run on his current contract.
Inter Milan saw a £21.7m approach for the six-cap England international rebuffed earlier this summer, whilst Tottenham were among the Premier League clubs credited with interest during the January window. Jones himself appeared to publicly distance himself from a mooted switch to Nottingham Forest via social media.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has, however, made his admiration plain. “I rate Curtis very highly,” he said earlier this month. “For me he is a great, great player, and I hope he can continue with us.”
