Dele Alli gets sent off 10 minutes into Como debut against AC Milan

Dele Alli (28, Como) made his return to official competition after about 2 years, but he was sent off in his debut match for Como.

Como lost 1-2 to AC Milan in the 29th round of the 2024-2025 Serie A away match held on the 16th (Korea time) at San Siro in Milan, Italy. They initially took the lead with Luka Da Cunha's opening goal, but were brought to their knees after allowing two consecutive goals to Christian Pulisic and Tijani Reijnders in the second half.

As a result, Como missed victory for the third consecutive league match and remained in 13th place.

The focus of the match was on Alli's return. However, it ended with his "sending off."

Alli was substituted in for Da Cunha in the 36th minute of the second half, marking his first match since transferring to Como, but was sent off just 10 minutes after entering the pitch for stepping on Ruben Loftus-Cheek's ankle.

Alli was once regarded as one of the Premier League's top prospects. Recognized for his potential at MK Dons, he joined Tottenham in 2015 and made a strong impression by scoring 10 goals and providing 2 assists in his first season with 33 league matches. In the 2016-2017 season, he established himself as a top midfielder in the Premier League by netting 18 goals and assisting 9 times in 37 matches. Possessing creative passing and finishing abilities, he was consistently called up to the England national team and was expected to grow into a world-class player.

However, after the 2017-2018 season, injuries and a decline in form quickly affected his capabilities. He saw his standing diminish at Tottenham, and several coaches attempted to revive his career, but failed. Eventually, he transferred to Everton in 2022 but did not meet expectations and could not rebound during his loan to Beşiktaş.

In March 2024, Alli joined Como for a new challenge. Como, which has shown growth in recent years, returned to Serie A for the first time in 21 years. Cesc Fàbregas, who was a coach, has officially taken over as manager this season to lead the team. Although Alli has been included in the squad several times, he had not received any playing opportunities until he made his debut in the match against AC Milan. However, it resulted in the worst-case scenario of a sending off.

Kyle Walker of AC Milan requested the referee to reverse Alli's sending off. The two players developed a friendship while playing together at Tottenham.

However, the referee's decision was not changed. Alli left the field as it was.

[OSEN = No Jin-joo, reporter]