Football is littered with examples of team-mates falling out and getting into fights with each other.
Like any elite sport, it is a competitive environment and there is no guarantees that people like each other or get along. Go into any factory or office in the world, and there will be countless examples of colleagues who barely tolerate each other.
However, the stories that are emerging from the Real Madrid dressing room suggest that things have ramped up to a different level in the Spanish club.
Antonio Rüdiger vs Álvaro Carreras were involved in a verbal disagreement that then turned physical, and although that soon died down, the same could not be said for the clash between Aurélien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde.
What started as training ground aggression escalated over two days, and culminated in a dressing room confrontation which ended with Valverde in hospital after being knocked out. Although the narrative being spun now is that he slipped and was not struck by his team-mate, clearly something has gone seriously wrong.
Whilst the club has begun disciplinary proceedings against both players, it is hard to see how both can still remain Real players for next season. A line has been crossed and there is no eay back now.
