Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has stated that all is well within the squad following a perceived on-pitch disagreement with teammate Curtis Jones during a pre-season match. Szoboszlai insisted that no anger was present and that the situation was minor, suggesting that media coverage had exaggerated the incident.
The event occurred last week at Yankee Stadium in New York during Liverpool's 1-0 victory over Wrexham. Reports indicated a clash between Szoboszlai and Jones, with Kostas Tsimikas also involved. The dispute was believed to have stemmed from Szoboszlai not passing the captain's armband to Jones.
Video footage showed Jones appearing agitated with Szoboszlai, while Tsimikas, who ultimately received the armband, was seen discarding it on the ground, prompting considerable discussion among fans online.
Szoboszlai addressed the situation, stating, "It was never a debate between us three. We just discussed something on the pitch. Actually, you guys (the media) make it very big. But next time we will manage to do it in the changing room. No, nobody was angry at no one. It's all cleared. We are cool, everybody."
In separate comments, Szoboszlai also clarified a remark that had led to speculation about teammate Alexis Mac Allister's future. When listing players returning from post-World Cup breaks, he used the phrase "if Macca comes back," which fans interpreted as uncertainty about Mac Allister's return. Szoboszlai emphasized that this was a linguistic error due to his English proficiency.
"That's my English, guys. It's not 'if', it's 'when' he comes back. So now I make it clear. Can you post this as well? Because it's not 'if'. He's coming back and he's going to be part of the team as much as I know," he explained.
Looking ahead to the new season, Szoboszlai expressed his eagerness to begin and his desire to improve upon the previous campaign's performance. He also stated his honor at potentially receiving the vice-captaincy.
"I can't wait (for the new campaign), honestly. I feel we are ready to go again and take motivation from last season. Because it was not the best what we should do. We didn't end up there where we wanted to," Szoboszlai said. "We have Ali, we have Joe Gomez (as vice-captaincy options)... obviously Ali is not on tour. Joe is injured. I was very proud to have (the captaincy on tour). And let's see. It's not my choice. It's not fixed. If you get offered the vice-captain in Liverpool, you're going to take it. It would be a proud moment for me. But I respect everybody. So either way, whoever it's going to be, we're going to follow them."