Real Madrid attacker Arda Guler has formed a completely random rivalry with Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.
It's Wrestlemania season, but unsurprisingly, it isn't just WWE fans who have been treated to ever-changing rivalries, egotistical showboating and internet smack-talk. Nope, Real Madrid fans have also had the pleasure of witnessing one of their players show that fighting spirit online.
The international break is in full swing. From a Real Madrid perspective, we are thankful that the break is almost over, but this one hasn't been nearly as boring as other breaks have been in the past. We've seen some pretty nice involvement from Real Madrid players in the international break, including Kylian Mbappe and Luka Modric facing each other.
Real Madrid and Liverpool stars form a random rivalry
One starlet who always seems to rise to the top for his country is Arda Guler. The 20-year-old Turkey international is one of the most exciting players in the world, but it is with his countrymen that he shines the most. At Real Madrid, he is hardly given a look-in, due to the sheer amount of talent around him.
This point was recently echoed by Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai. In the recent Hungary vs Turkey match, which was the second leg of the UEFA Nations League qualification final, the two were involved in some on-field altercations. This was then escalated after the match when Dominik Szoboszlai commented "1088" on social media, a taunting of the number of minutes played by Arda Guler this season.
Of course, these comments were bitter and distasteful. Arda Guler is a young player who made a big decision to join Real Madrid, especially when other "stepping stone" clubs were interested in signing for him. Only the best players in the world can play for Real Madrid, so Guler knows that it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Anyway, Arda Guler saw the funny side. Responding on social media, Guler referred to Szoboszlai as a joke. In the caption, Guler said: "This guy is a joke. Isn't six goals enough to shut you up?". He also posted a picture of himself with the 'shush' pose, and "Szoboszlai, one Instagram comment" listed as the only thing of note underneath Hungary's scoreboard.
Look, Arda Guler has some fire in him. Some fans might look at this side to his personality as being a flaw, as we've often seen in young players in the past. However, some of the best players in Real Madrid history, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Sergio Ramos, all had a short temper and a refusal to accept mockery of any kind.