Curtis Jones furious after Dominik Szoboszlai action: team-mates have to step in | Goal.com

Published on 31 Jul 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Liverpool's 1-0 friendly win over Wrexham AFC did not end quietly. Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones appeared to clash on the pitch in a heated exchange, reportedly over who should take the captain's armband in Virgil van Dijk's absence.

Andoni Iraola's new side had already beaten Sunderland AFC 4-2 on Sunday. They also won their second friendly against Championship-promoted Wrexham, with Rio Ngumoha scoring late on for the only goal. Still, things were not entirely smooth inside the Liverpool camp.

English media claim the row started when Szoboszlai was substituted and the question of the armband came up. Jones reportedly thought he would inherit it from the 25-year-old midfielder, but Szoboszlai handed it to Tsimikas instead.

Jones reacted angrily and confronted Szoboszlai, who did not back down either. Footage shows the English midfielder walking past the Spanish manager before making his complaint directly to the Hungarian.

Both men stared each other down and argued with sharp gestures and animated body language, with Jones visibly furious. Jeremie Frimpong and Kostas Tsimikas eventually stepped between the two midfielders.

Separate clips show Jones still grumbling a little later. The Greek full-back appeared tired of the argument and threw Liverpool's captain's armband to the ground. The three then kept talking before Jones picked up the armband and tried to make peace by embracing Szoboszlai.

At the press conference before the friendly against Leeds United, the Hungarian midfielder sidestepped a question about the heated exchange. He focused instead on the changes within the team. "But Virgil is our captain. That means we do what he and the manager say. We want to be successful this season."

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