UK Edition
Aboubakar Kamara arrested and banned from Fulham after training ground fight
Fulham forward Aboubakar Kamara has been arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and criminal damage after a clash at the club’s training ground.
Kamara has been indefinitely banned from the club after the arrest, which comes after the controversial striker was left out of the squad for Fulham’s last two matches and ordered to train with the Under-23 side.
The 23-year-old has also had two altercations with Aleksandar Mitrovic in recent weeks, including an alleged fight during a team yoga session.
Claudio Ranieri, the Fulham manager, said last month that he “wanted to kill” Kamara after the winger had defied team orders by grabbing the ball off Mitrovic against Huddersfield and then missing a late penalty.
It is believed that Kamara clashed with a Fulham member of staff on Monday evening after arriving at the Motspur Park training ground with the intent of resolving his future with senior figures at the club.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called to a training ground in New Malden shortly after 17.00hrs on Monday, 21 January to reports of a fight.
“Officers attended. One man, in his 20s, was arrested on suspicion of ABH and criminal damage. He has been taken into custody in a south London police station. Enquiries continue.”
In a club statement, Fulham added: “The club is grateful for the swift attention and action by the Metropolitan Police immediately following our reporting of the incident on Monday. The subject who was arrested is banned indefinitely from Motspur Park and all club activities.
“We will refrain from further comment but will stress that we will fully cooperate with any new or continuing investigation or legal proceeding in the name of providing everyone a secure and safe working environment.”
Kamara, who joined Fulham from French club Amiens in the summer of 2017, has scored five goals in 15 appearances this season. But he has not played for Ranieri since Fulham’s 4-1 defeat by Arsenal on January 1.
The latest incident comes at a difficult time for Fulham and Ranieri, who conceded a last-minute winner against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. They are currently 19th in the table and seven points off safety ahead of upcoming matches against Brighton and Crystal Palace.
Ranieri had said earlier this month that he held “no grudge” against Kamara for the penalty miss against Huddersfield. The French forward was racially abused on social media following his miss in that match, which Fulham won 1-0.
Kamara apologised to his team-mates in the wake of that error, and defender Tim Ream said that the club now needed to “pull in the same direction” and support him.
Kamara played 35 games in his first season at Fulham, scoring seven times under Slavisa Jokanovic as they sealed promotion back to the Premier League through the play-offs.