Liverpool, GB – The tempestuous relationship between former Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf and club legend Steven Gerrard has resurfaced, this time with revelations of an explosive, X-rated dressing room confrontation involving Gerrard’s mother. According to accounts from a former teammate, the tension between the two players reached an unprecedented level during a pre-season friendly, leaving younger players traumatised by the spectacle.
El Hadji Diouf, who arrived at Anfield in 2002 for a significant £10 million fee following his heroics at the World Cup, quickly became one of the most controversial figures in recent Liverpool history. While his on-pitch impact was minimal—culminating in a notoriously poor scoring record—his off-pitch incidents often stole the headlines, including infamous episodes like spitting at a Celtic supporter.
The Dressing Room Explosion
The latest details emerge from Florent Sinama-Pongolle, a former Reds forward who witnessed the peak of the animosity between the Senegalese international and the revered Liverpool captain. Speaking recently to journalist Walid Acherchour, Sinama-Pongolle described a half-time incident during a pre-season match that shocked the squad.
“Half-time of a pre-season game. Fight between Diouf and Gerrard. I was traumatised,” Sinama-Pongolle recounted. “Can you imagine the young ones seeing this and thinking that's what professionals are like at that level?”
The catalyst for the confrontation appeared to be tactical instruction that Diouf bristled against. Gerrard, known for his leadership and demanding standards, reportedly tried to impose discipline on his teammate. “At half-time, in the dressing room. Stevie G is all like, ‘You have to pass, you have to pass’ and [Diouf] just loses it,” the former teammate explained.
The Unthinkable Insult
The language barrier exacerbated the situation. Diouf’s grasp of English at the time was reportedly poor, leading to a breakdown in communication that spiralled into deeply personal attacks. When Gerrard directed insults at Diouf, the striker, unable to articulate a direct verbal response, allegedly turned to then-manager Gerard Houllier.
“Steven Gerrard arrives, he insults Diouf. ‘Hey, you f*****’,” Sinama-Pongolle revealed. “And [Diouf] couldn't answer, so he grabs [former Liverpool boss] Gerard Houllier and says: ‘Tell him, I'll f*** his mum’.”
This alleged exchange highlights the deep-seated animosity that festered between the two players over their three shared seasons at the club, despite their shared goal of success for the Merseyside giants. For many observers, Diouf’s tenure is often remembered more for his combative nature than his contribution on the pitch.
A History of Feuds
The feud with Gerrard was not Diouf’s only high-profile clash during his time at Liverpool. Fellow defender Jamie Carragher, another Anfield stalwart, has frequently spoken about his difficulties with the forward. Carragher once famously labelled Diouf as having “one of the worst strike rates in Liverpool history” after the striker failed to score in over 30 league matches during the 2003/04 season, adding that Diouf was “always picked last for training.”
The rivalry between Diouf and Gerrard persisted long after the striker left Liverpool in 2005. In a remarkable display of lingering arrogance, Diouf reignited the feud in 2017, claiming superior international significance over Gerrard.
“Gerrard is a strong character and I am a strong character,” Diouf asserted publicly. “Stevie G was a very good player, people like him in Liverpool but he never did anything for his country. I am Mr El Hadji Diouf, Mr Senegal, but he is Mr Liverpool and Senegal is bigger than Liverpool and he has to know that.”
While Gerrard went on to captain Liverpool to Champions League glory and secure legendary status, Diouf’s legacy remains defined by these contentious off-field moments and his failure to live up to his substantial transfer fee. The revelation of the X-rated dressing room confrontation adds a severe, personal dimension to what was already one of Anfield’s most dysfunctional player dynamics.
For fans of the Premier League era, these stories offer a stark reminder that success on the pitch is often accompanied by intense, sometimes volatile, internal struggles within the dressing room.