A Premier League star has been accused of biting his 18-year-old son's ear in a beating which left his alleged victim fleeing the house in tears before dawn.
Dani Osvaldo is accused of pinning his son, Gianluca, against the wall and pounding him repeatedly by his former wife and the teenager's mother, Ana 'Nina' Oertlinger.
The shocking allegations, made by Oertlinger on Argentinian television, come amid her legal battle with Osvaldo over alleged unpaid child support which has left her fearing potential homelessness.
Osvaldo, 39, is a former Southampton striker who recently rekindled his romance with Gianinna Maradona, the grieving daughter of Argentina legend Diego.
The ex-Italy star has reportedly chosen not to comment on the alleged assault or money owed in child support to Oertlinger, as per Portuguese outlet Caras.
'He was physically violent toward my son,' Oerlinger told Argentine show A La Tarde. 'He physically assaulted my son in the early morning of January 13.
'At one point, he put him against the wall and hit him on the head, ribs, and arm, all on the left side.
'Daniel got on top of him on the couch and kept hitting him with his fists and bit his ear,' she said on the show, via Paparazzi.
'The situation calmed down, they continued arguing, and my son started to cry.
'The relationship was always unstable because the father was always someone who disappeared for months on end.
'The anger came because he (Gianluca) has a (friendly) relationship with Jimena (Baron, Argentinian actress and Osvaldo's former partner) and my son doesn't want to end the relationship. And while he was hitting him, he insulted Jimena and me.
'Gianluca escaped, he was able to do so and left the house. He returned at dawn, on a Monday at 4:40 a.m., alone in a state of shock.
'My son loves him, but he's in pain, he felt disappointed, and today he doesn't have a relationship because as soon as this happened, he blocked him.'
Panellists on the A La Tarde show claimed that Osvaldo has a 'significant debt' which means he has not paid child support, including health insurance, to Oertlinger.
Oertlinger allegedly fears that she could end up homeless due to not having the money to pay rent, while Osvaldo is refusing to act as a guarantor. Gianluca, the son, has put a restraining order on him, Oertlinger said.
'Daniel Osvaldo, do you know what he has today in Argentina? Zero, he filed for bankruptcy. But he has a hidden fortune of more than 40 million dollars, and Ana Oertlinger is going after that fortune, to collect what he owes her,' said panellist Diego Estevez.
Cora Debarbieri added: 'She (Oertlinger) is going through a very particular situation, because today is a crucial day for her, as she has to renew her rental contract; otherwise, she would unfortunately be out on the street.'
Recently, Osvaldo posted a romantic restaurant picture across the table from Gianinna Maradona, daughter of Diego. 'I love you,' he wrote.
It has been a turbulent time for her amid the trial of even of Maradona's medical team for 'cuplable homicide' after the 1986 World Cup winner died following a heart attack aged 60 in 2020. They deny the charges.
Evidence heard in court suggested that Maradona's worsening condition - including a deformed heart which swelled to double that of a regular size - would have been visible to attentive medical professionals days before his death.
Osvaldo has often been seen as an uncontainable figure.
Roma suspended him in 2011 for punching team-mate Erik Lamela, while Southampton got rid of him after he headbutted Jose Fonte in training.
Boca Juniors also terminated his contract for smoking in the dressing room, while he later quit a second term there as he said he preferred 'asado [Argentine barbecue] and beer to money'.
Lore has it that he once turned down a move to Sevilla to ensure he could attend a festival, and he retired aged 30 to become a rockstar.
In an interview, the towering forward described the move as 'liberating' and revealed his unhappiness playing football as he turned attentiont to his band, Barrio Viejo.
But in another twist, earlier this month, he made his return to football after nine years to play for amateur Argentine club Huracan, where he began his career in 2005.