Sports

Red Bulls star Thierry Henry, coach have to be pulled apart in near practice brawl

One of the most well known players in Major League Soccer and his coach nearly came to blows during practice Thursday.

Red Bulls star Thierry Henry and coach Mike Petke got into a heated on-the-field exchange, leading to the pair being separated by members of the team’s training staff, according to BigAppleSoccer.com.

Henry and Petke got in each other’s faces during an 11-on-11 drill. Members of the coaching staff had to physically pull the two apart.

Henry, famous for winning a World Cup with France in 1998, then stormed off the field angrily with a member of the strength and conditioning team behind him. Sources told the website that Petke and Henry met afterward to clear the air.

Red Bulls coach Mike Petke almost got in a fight with the team's star player, Thierry Henry, on August 29
Red Bulls coach Mike PetkeGetty Images

The cause for the near brawl was unclear, but Petke says the two have buried he hatchet.

“Listen, Thierry Henry is one of the most passionate and fiery people I’ve ever been associated with,” Petke said after practice Friday. “And unless you guys have been under a rock for the last 13 years, I’m pretty passionate and lose my head a lot too. Very normal stuff, there’s really nothing to report. Nothing to report. It happens all over the world. As you saw, Thierry and I talking fine today, we had a great conversation after practice yesterday, both on the same page, both ready to roll.”

Henry is the team’s captain and its highest paid player, making $4.36 million this year. The Red Bulls are winless in their last three games. They face rival D.C. United on Saturday night at home.