Jerome Boateng punches Leon Goretzka after reports circulated that both players were involved in a brawl during training at Bayern Munich.
According to a report by the Bild, Leon Goretzka was allegedly punched by Jerome Boateng in a training session at Bayern Munich. Following the account of the publication, Goretzka has been accused of being the instigator.
The midfielder was angry after a contested penalty during a training game on a small pitch. When Thomas Müller tried to explain the situation to him, Goretzka dismissively gestured “blah, blah, blah” to the veteran.
Muller was not amused, and Boateng vociferously defended his longtime teammate. Ten minutes after the argument, the report further claims that Goretzka went in studs-up on Boateng on their first one-on-one nowhere near the ball.
The German defender replied in anger, hitting Goretzka full on the face with an open hand. Goretzka almost fell over backwards, further Robert Lewandowski ran into the fray to pull Boateng away, and Hans Flick also immediately rushed over for Goretzka’s rescue.
There was a brawl in training today: Goretzka went into a challenge & fouled Boateng without the ball. The latter reacted and hit Goretzka with his hand to the face.
Robert Lewandowski was first to jump in and pull Boateng away. Flick then intervened and talked to Boateng [Bild] pic.twitter.com/KTvgVoadmz— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) January 29, 2020
While Flick calmed Boateng down, Müller and Michael Cuisance gave Goretzka a piece of their mind. “Always the same shit with you!” Müller yelled. The report further states, Goretzka and Boateng did not apologize after the game.
It would be great if this appears to be a temporary scuffle in the team in the heat of the moment and not a reflection of inner-disputes in the dressing room, as the squad has gone through massive changes since the start of the season.
Meanwhile, it has also struggled to be at their best this season, as RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach are giving them a hard competition to their dominance in Bundesliga.
Boateng has remained in headlines since the summer, as a salty statement by Uli Hoeness over Boateng’s role in the team also stirred controversy at that time.