Former Liverpool forward El-Hadji Diouf had a lot to say about Steven Gerrard on Thursday, and John Arne Riise didn’t take too kindly to it.
Gerrard announced his retirement from football this week, and while tributes and praise poured in from around the world, Diouf wasn’t in such a positive mood.
The ex-Senegal international had a tumultuous relationship with the Reds legend, and reignited their feud this week with his comments on French TV.
“People told me at Liverpool, there was some guys you could not touch, but I touched them. That is why it was complicated for me,” Diouf said.
“When I arrived I showed him he was nothing at all. He was nothing at all.
“I repeat. I respect the player, very big player, but the man, I do not respect. And I told him, I let him know that. He could not, he was afraid of looking into my eyes. He was afraid of talking to me.”
Riise is obviously ‘Team Gerrard’ as he took to Twitter to respond to Diouf’s comments, and evidently he wasn’t impressed one bit with what he had to say.
The former Norwegian international spent seven years at Anfield, playing alongside Gerrard when they won the Champions League in 2005.
Clearly he holds the 36-year-old former midfielder in much higher regard than Diouf, and it has in turn sparked another war of words.
Diouf talking again ?Zzzzz.. Like Gerrard was afraid of looking into his eyes and talking to him?Yeah good one dude. 50/50 tackle please
— John Arne Riise (@JARiiseOfficial) November 25, 2016