The Feyenoord squad are undertaking a winter training camp in Portugal ahead of returning to action on


The European winter break is the perfect time for clubs to whisk their players away for a spot of warm weather training and team-bonding – perhaps someone should have let the Feyenoord squad know.

Team-mates Miquel Nelom and Tonny Vilhena had to be separated on the training pitch on Thursday as they came to blows during the Dutch club's training camp in Albufeira, Portugal.

Despite their best efforts, team-mates and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst were unable to avoid the furious bust-up escalating as the club trained at the Alfamar Beach & Sport Resort.

Feyenoord team-mates Tonny Vilhena (right) and Miquel Nelom came to blows during a training session during a camp in Portugal

Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst (far left) attempts to diffuse the row as Rick Karsdorp (second left) attempts to hold Nelom back

Team-mates struggle to hold the pair back – goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer (second right) and Sven van Beek (far right) pull Vilhena away

MEN AT THE CENTRE OF BUST-UP Miquel Nelom The 25-year-old left back joined Feyenoord from Excelsior in 2011 and went on to earn two international caps for Holland in 2013. Tonny Vilhena The talented central midfielder turned 21 on Sunday. Vilhena, who has 22 caps for Holland U21s, was a transfer target for Southampton last January. Giovanni van Bronckhorst The Feyenoord head coach took charge of the that he started and ended his career at last summer. He played for Holland 106 times and also had spells at Arsenal and Barcelona. Advertisement

Full back Nelom and midfielder Vilhena were pictured charging towards one another as team-mates Rick Karsdorp, Kenneth Vermeer and Sven van Beek along with former Arsenal and Barcelona defender Van Bronckhorst desperately attempted to hold the pair back.

They failed to restrain the feisty duo as both were seen landing kicks on each other as they clashed in what appeared to be wholly unsavoury scenes.

Van Bronckhorst, a former Holland international, played a key role in trying to separate Nelom and Vilhena and was pictured rushing into the action before stepping between the raging team-mates.

In one picture, goalkeeper Vermeer and centre back Van Beek can be seen frantically pulling on Vilhena's training bib and arm as they attempt to restrain the Dutch midfielder during the angry feud.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Karim El Ahmadi, who left the Midlands club in 2014, was also present during the row but played a more passive role in attempting to diffuse the situation.

Vilhena, who turned 21 earlier this week, is a talented midfielder who has come through Feyenoord's academy and has been capped 22 times by Holland Under 21s.

Vilhena has been heavily linked with a switch to the Premier League with Southampton having worked under their manager Ronald Koeman before he moved from Holland to the south coast.

Vilhena (far right) plants his studs into the groin area of defender Nelom as Karsdorp steps in to separate the fuming duo

Former Arsenal and Barcelona full back Van Bronckhorst gets between the players as they continue to exchange verbals

Nelom (left) is restrained by team-mate Karsdorp after the pair are finally pulled apart as the furious bust-up comes to an end

Nelom, a 25-year-old left back, joined the Rotterdam-based club from Dutch rivals Excelsior in 2011 and has played more than 100 times for Feyenoord.

It has been reported in Holland that the bust-up broke out after Vilhena reacted angrily to a tackle by Nelom as the Feyenoord players continued their preparations ahead of the return of the Eredivisie season later this month.

Feyenoord, currently third behind Ajax and PSV at the top of Dutch top flight, can leapfrog the Eindhoven-based club when they take on PSV at the Stadion Feijenoord on January 17 in their first league match of 2016.

Van Bronckhorst's side will be keen to hit the ground running in this year after suffering a 3-1 defeat by NEC in their final match of 2015 – only the club's third defeat of the campaign.

Feyenoord, who have not been Dutch champions since the 1998-99 season, are five points adrift of leaders Ajax at the halfway stage and a further two behind PSV.

Vilhena (right) is restrained by Feyenoord goalkeeper Vermeer (centre) as ex-Aston Villa Karim El Ahmadi tries to calm Vilhena down

It has been reported in Holland that the row broke out after Vilhena reacted angrily to a tackle by full back Nelom

Vermeer (centre) has words with Vilhena (right) as El Ahmadi leads the midfielder away by his hand following the confrontation