Fights

There isn’t a more exhaustive match in the world than El Clasico — it consistently provides high-stakes, supercharged emotions and scintillating football from the world’s best players. It also has the distinction of pitting two clubs that loath one another in a physical, no-holds-barred and often controversial battle between international teammates.

Spain rely so heavily on drawing players from these two club that there’s always that boiling subplot to analyze and critique, especially as we approach another World Cup year. 

The war of words between Gerard Pique and Real Madrid reached ESPN FC comment section levels of villainy with Sergio Ramos taking the time to respond to Pique’s latest trolling effort.

Pique has previously insinuated that Real always get an easy draw in the Champions League, that Real’s expulsion from the Copa del Rey last season was hilarious and that Alvaro Arbeloa is a cone — this is pretty much a regular thing from him. 

The Colorado Rapid’s disappointing start to the 2017 season took another turn for the worse with goalkeeper Tim Howard being handed a three-match suspension and fine from MLS. 

The league handed Howard the suspension on the eve of Colorado’s 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake on Saturday. The incidents in question had taken place the previous Sunday at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

The Europa League quarterfinal between Lyon and Besiktas was delayed for 45 minutes when supporters were forced to invade the pitch after projectiles and firecrackers were thrown from the upper deck and into the stand below.

Ros Barkley was reportedly punched in the face at a Liverpool nightclub I say reportedly because responsible journalism and all, but from the video it sure as hell looks like someone punched him in the face.

In December, I wrote about a violent-looking Nic Cage flick called "Arsenal", which I joked was about Arsenal Fan TV and the raging "Wenger in" vs. "Wenger out" debate.

I am no longer joking. Arsenal's legion of strong-opinion-havers has finally gotten physical, and the only surprise is it took them this long.

The best thing about first division football matches is they take place in gigantic stadiums with excellent security, which means that it is much more difficult for a footballer to go into the locker room and retrieve a knife and threaten a fan with it.

Yes, that is the best thing. You see, in the lower divisions there is far less security and therefore a far greater chance of a footballer menacing a spectator with a knife.

I don't know what else you were expecting. Xolos manager Miguel Herrera, who is liable to do anything at any moment, could be in hot water because of a video that surfaced showing Herrera appearing to insult and try to fight a fan who was in the stands.

This is not the sort of thing you should do normally, but it's especially the sort of thing you shouldn't do if you got canned from your last job for punching a journalist.

This brawl has everything: riot police, tear gas, fans playing tug-of-war over a banner, everything.