Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole was beaten up by jealous drunk apparently upset that the England international was chatting with Keeley Hazell, famous for posing topless in the tabloid The Sun.
The Sun reported that Cole, who received a black eye and scratches after the brawl at Hazell's house, climbed out of a window at 5:30 a.m. to escape. Without money, he had to beg a taxi driver for a ride home.
Cole, out celebrating after Chelsea's 2-1 FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town with captain John Terry, had met Keeley at a nightclub. He did not require medical treatment.
A source told The Sun, ''He'd got bloody marks on his face and body. He had obviously been in a fight and come off worst. He was only wearing jeans and no drivers would take him. Eventually one agreed on condition he got cash from his dad as soon as he arrived.''
A month ago, Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho had warned his players about late-night carousing:
''What worries me is drink, not eating properly, going home very late, going to nightclubs, pubs and bars during not-free days, during the week when they have to wake up and train the next day. … And the next morning I know what they did the night before.''