Arsenal 23yo sparks angry training confrontation on international duty | OneFootball

Dutch manager Ronald Koeman had to step in after Wout Weghorst was left frustrated by a challenge from Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber in training.

Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst (L) and defender Jurrien Timber (R) speak with Netherland’s team coach Ronald Koeman (C) during a training session for the Dutch national team, at the KNVB Campus in Zeist, on September 8, 2024. (Photo via Getty Images)

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber is away with the Netherlands over the September international break, and he was involved in a flare-up between Wout Weghorst and manager Ronald Koeman over the weekend.

As the team took part in a passing drill, Timber won the ball from Weghorst by sneaking in front of the striker, but he appeared to catch his international teammate in the process.

Weghorst went down holding his foot, before standing up and appearing to make comments in Timber’s direction, before having an argument with team staff over the incident.

Reports suggest Koeman shouted “and now it’s done” to try and quell Weghorst’s frustrations.

Netherlands striker Wout Weghorst departs early from a training session for the Dutch national team, at the KNVB Campus in Zeist, on September 8, 2024, two days before the UEFA Nations League match between Netherlands and Germany. (Photo by OLAF KRAAK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Though the whole thing was over pretty quickly, with the clip of the incident below, Weghorst reportedly left the session still visibly annoyed.

But Koeman has played down the altercation, saying: “It’s completely normal, it happens everywhere. Let’s not make it bigger than it is.

“It’s also important to say that he didn’t leave during the training session. Afterwards he came up to me and we talked about it.”

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND: Jurrien Timber of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 24, 2024. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

For Timber’s part, it doesn’t seem he had any involvement in the clash after the initial challenge. He may have sparked Weghorst’s anger, but he walked away from the confrontation and didn’t return to it.

Timber played 24 minutes a substitute in the Netherlands’ 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina to kick off the international break. The team are facing Germany on Tuesday evening.