Real Madrid's fragile team unity was destroyed yesterday when Ivan Campo punched Real Madrid team-mate Clarence Seedorf in the face as they trained for tomorrow's Intercontinental Cup match with the South American champions Vasco de Gama in Tokyo.

The atmosphere was not helped when Real president Lorenzo Sanz got into a heated row with a journalist from Madrid daily El Mundo.

According to the Spanish press, Campo hit Dutch midfielder Seedorf in the face during a morning training session at the Yomiuriland stadium in Tokyo. Campo was reacting to a comment made by Seedorf and they had to be separated before things got completely out of hand.

In the other incident, El Mundo reported that Sanz publicly insulted one of its journalists who claimed nepotism had put his son Fernando in the Madrid squad.

"Would Fernando Sanz be playing at Real Madrid if he was called Sanchez or Perez?" wrote journalist Carlos Toro in Friday's paper. "The answer is no."

Real Madrid, who hired Guus Hiddink after Sanz sacked Jupp Heynckes this summer, have had a terrible run of form recently conceding eight goals in their last three league matches.

Meanwhile, beleaguered Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal yesterday received a renewed vote of confidence from club president Joan Gaspart.

A full house at the Nou Camp for Saturday's centenary celebrations were left to vent their frustrations at another poor performance as Barcelona were beaten 1-0 by Atletico Madrid. The crowd demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the traditional show of handkerchiefs and shouts of "Van Gaal out".