Barton involved in friendly fracas

Marseille midfielder Joey Barton became involved in an angry spat with Istres player Guy-Roland Niangbo in a friendly on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old put in a crunching challenge on the Ligue 2 winger which resulted in crossed words between the pair and required other players to intervene.

After the match, Istres coach Jose Pasqualetti warned the former Manchester City star against taking a physical approach in France.

“He’ll have to be careful, that kind of thing does not happen in Ligue 1,” he told reporters.

The QPR loanee was recently handed a 12-game ban by the FA for violent conduct, following his actions during the final game of last season against Manchester City.

Barton has five games remaining on that sanction, which applies to all Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue games but not those played in Europe.