Incident no over - Stromberg

Sweden coaches Tommy Soderberg and Lars Lagerback still have work to do following the bust-up between Fredrik Ljungberg and Olaf Mellberg, according to former Sweden international Glenn Stromberg.

The Arsenal star flew into a rage when the Aston Villa defender chopped him down with a late tackle at the squad’s Miyazaki base earlier today.

The players both sought to play down the clash afterwards but Stromberg believes there is still tension between the two.

‘‘Just look at their body language. They don’t like each other. This is something that the bosses must sort out,’’ he said.

Stromberg, who played for Sweden at the 1990 World Cup, insists that Ljungberg was wrong to react the way he did.

‘‘If Ljungberg got angry after Mellberg’s bad tackle, he shouldn’t have started to fight.

‘‘Do it fairly and give Mellberg what he deserves in another tackle,’’ he said.

The incident was captured in a close-up by television cameras and is already available for viewing world-wide on the internet.

Ljungberg, a key member in Arsenal’s Premiership and FA Cup-winning double, had already won a tackle before setting off on a trademark run down the right flank when Mellberg charged in with a waist-high lunge that sent him sprawling.

The Gunner leapt to his feet and grabbed his colleague by the throat as the pair wrestled to the ground.

According to the website for Sweden’s Expressen newspaper, Mellberg hurled an expletive at his team-mate before midfielder Daniel Andersson plunged in to try to separate them.

Coventry goalkeeper Magnus Hedman and Southampton’s Anders Svensson eventually pulled the pair apart before joint coaches Soderberg and Lagerback hastily ended the session.

Mellberg was also keen to draw a line under the incident.

‘‘Of course I regret it. You can’t put a positive spin on what I did,’’ he said.

‘‘It is nothing you can be proud about. It was stupid.’’

Sweden’s team spokesman Mats Enqvist said: ‘‘This is not something we are used to but it is something Tommy (Soderberg) and Lars (Lagerback) will sort out.

‘‘It’s competitive now, the boys are really up for it.’’