Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso insists training ground fracas between Antonio Rudiger and Kepa Arrizabalaga is GOOD and admits it will happen AGAIN in future
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has described the sensational training ground bust-up between Antonio Rudiger and Kepa Arrizabalaga as a positive for the club.
The physical confrontation between the pair at Cobham came on Easter Sunday, less than 24 hours after the Blues were dismantled 5-2 by Sam Allardyce’s relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion side.
There was pushing and arguing between the pair, neither of whom played in the defeat by West Brom, when tempers flared in training and Tuchel sent his defender into the changing rooms shortly before the end of the session to calm down.
Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga (left) and Antonio Rudiger (right) clashed in training on Sunday
But Blues defender Marcos Alonso has described the training ground bust up as a positive
Centre half Rudiger was dismissed after a shoving match following a late tackle during a small-sided training exercise, although Rudiger later apologised unprompted and the pair made up.
But Alonso admitted the passion and desire shown by the pair was a positive rather than a negative, despite the heated encounter.
He told beIN SPORTS: ‘These are things that happen.
‘It shows the level of competition that is in the team, the hunger we show even on the training ground and it is good for the team.’
Thomas Tuchel will hope his side can bounce back in the European quarter-final against Porto
‘Even before training finished it was all good. Nothing new, it has always happened.
‘It will happen again. We have to take the positive and move on and get ready for the next game.’
Next up, Thomas Tuchel’s side will look to bounce back from their first defeat of his tenure when they travel to Porto for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.