A golf club, John Arne Riise and Craig Bellamy, it was a combination that hit the headlines in 2007 due to the bizarre and insane nature of the incident ahead of a Champions League tie.
In 2007, Rafa Benitez’s men were the underdogs and Barcelona the reigning champions as they met in the Champions League last 16 in 2006/07.
A stern test lay in wait against Frank Rijkaard’s side, who boasted teenage prodigy Lionel Messi, but Liverpool’s preparations were marred by word of a fight between Bellamy and Riise.
What was intended to be a relaxing and light build-up in the Algarve for the all-important clash turned into a headline-hitting bust-up with Bellamy brandishing a golf club in Riise’s hotel room.
It is a tale that has not been forgotten, especially as Liverpool won 2-1 at the Nou Camp with both Bellamy and Riise on the scoresheet, the former celebrating with a golf swing.
What triggered Bellamy
In 2023, Bellamy opened up on the incident with Gary Neville on The Overlap, which he admits he is quite embarrassed by.
“We went to Portugal for the training camp, which is not uncommon,” Bellamy explained. “Towards the end of it, we were allowed a night out – but before that, we trained, and then we could play golf.
“We were playing golf, it was me, Robbie Fowler, John Arne Riise and Steve Finnan was with us as well. I questioned some of his [Riise’s] golf shots or where I felt the ball ended up.
“I thought there were certain areas where I’d seen it go somewhere and it ended up in a much better position. It wound me up a bit, I said to Finny ‘he’s cheating’.
“During the night, we had a few drinks, and then it was karaoke songs because new players had to sing a song as part of initiation. But he [Riise] had to sing a song because we had a Christmas do and he didn’t turn up – he said he was going back to Norway.
“We found out he didn’t go back to Norway so part of his punishment by the captain was he had to sing his song and pay a fine.
“I’m there going, ‘You have to sing’. He’s dead against it. When someone’s dead against something and doesn’t want to do it, I seem to want to push it more, ‘No, you have to’.
“Then it keeps going back and forth and he said, ‘I’m not f***ing singing and stop trying to f***ing make me’. I took offence.
“As it’s going on I’m getting less happy with it. So he’s gone and the more it’s gone on [I think] I’m not accepting that. I carried on thinking about it and more drinks come, but I’m not using that as an excuse.”
The incident
A classy European comeback at Camp Nou ???
21/02/07 ?? pic.twitter.com/97eoRNEaOa
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 21, 2025
“Steve Finnan and I were sharing a room, we go back and I said to him ‘I’m not having this’. I asked Steve what [golf] club he had that he didn’t like, and he said his 8-iron.
“So, I said that was coming with me and he asked where are you going and I said, ‘I’m going to go find him’.
“I’m quite embarrassed by this, I have to own it because it’s a ridiculous pathetic act and I’m not proud when I have to talk about it.
“I knocked on the [Riise’s] door, no answer, I knocked on the door again and he left it on the latch. I come in, turn the light on and swore a hell of a lot at him.
“I smacked him across the legs, then he got into the corner, got the sheets and bedding around him, and I said, ‘If you ever speak to me like that in front of people again, I’m telling you now’ – and then it escalated.”
