Is he never going to spread his wings again? It is reported that Dele Alli (29, Como 1907), who dreamed of participating in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, is quietly considering retirement.
The Italian 'Gazzetta' reported on the 1st (Korea time), "What happened to Alli? Excluded from the Como squad, he is considering retirement. Currently, Alli is not training in Marbella with his teammates."
Alli signed an 18-month contract with promoted Serie A team Como, which includes a one-year extension option, in January, dreaming of a comeback. Coach Cesc Fabregas welcomed him, stating, "The club believes in Alli's potential and is doing everything possible to help him regain his best condition. His experience and leadership will undoubtedly benefit the team."
After waiting for about a month, on the 3rd of March, he made his debut by coming on as a substitute in a match against AC Milan. This return came after a staggering 743 days since his last official match as a Beşiktaş player in February 2023. Alli tried to spread his wings again by actively participating in defense.
However, expectations crumbled in just 8 minutes. Alli received a red card for dangerously stepping on the ankle of opposing midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek from behind just before the end. Kyle Walker, who played with him at Tottenham and is now with AC Milan, requested leniency from the referee, but it was denied. Furthermore, Fabregas, who was protesting, was also sent off due to accumulation of warnings.
Ultimately, Como failed to equalize and lost the match. After the game, Coach Fabregas remarked, "Alli is a player who can score goals, but he has only been with us for 2 weeks. There's much to improve. Perhaps he didn't deserve that opportunity. It was a serious mistake, one not typical for an experienced player like Alli. It's a clear red card. I have no words. Such mistakes should not happen.
After that, Alli completely disappeared from the pitch. He did not play a single game in Como's uniform over the remaining 3 months. He consistently sat on the bench but was never selected by Coach Fabregas due to the lingering effects of injuries and tactical choices.
Alli does not see a future at Como for the next season. Gazzetta stated, "Como finished the season excellently, and Alli was probably the least significant presence at Como. Moreover, the recent transfer market has been devastating. Young talents like Martin Baturina and Maxence Caqueret have joined, and Nico Paz has not left. Lucas Da Cunha is also ahead of Alli."
Considering Alli's prime, it is a pitiful decline. He was once regarded as one of England's greatest prodigious midfielders. In the past, he formed the so-called 'DESK Line' alongside Christian Eriksen, Son Heung-min, and Harry Kane at Tottenham. During the 2016-2017 season, he scored 18 goals and provided 7 assists, winning a place in the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year and Young Player of the Year.
The path that seemed smooth for Alli began to abruptly decline in 2018. He sparked controversy with a lazy training attitude and fell into a severe slump, unable to find a breakthrough even during his loan at Everton. He struggled during his subsequent loan at Beşiktaş in Turkey and returned to Everton last summer.
Behind Alli's decline lies the pain he experienced in his childhood. He appeared on 'The Overlap' in July 2023, stating, "At the age of 6, I was sexually assaulted by a friend of my mother, and my mother was an alcoholic. She even sent me to Africa to learn discipline." He continued, "By the age of 7, I had smoked cigarettes, and at 8, I sold drugs. I carried drugs under my football."
The childhood trauma continued to haunt Alli into adulthood, forcing him to undergo rehabilitation treatment to escape sedative addiction. He said, "When I returned from Turkey, I realized I needed surgery. I was mentally unstable. So, I decided to go to a rehabilitation facility to treat my mental health, addiction, and trauma. It was a decision I made myself. I completed treatment 3 weeks ago," expressing his determination to revive.
Despite not having played for two years, Alli is determined to return as a football player and has expressed his ambition to participate in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. He has recorded a total of 194 Premier League matches with 51 goals and 34 assists, and he has been praised as 'the best English midfielder since Paul Gascoigne' by Sir Alex Ferguson. Considering that his prime ended at such a young age, these statistics are remarkable.
Determined to revive, Alli hoped to sign a new contract with Everton through preseason training. Everton also made accommodations so that he could participate in first-team training. However, due to the effects of a hip injury and a groin muscle tear that required him to be absent for 348 days, he left Everton officially without leaving a strong impression and embarked on a new challenge at Como.
However, after an absurd red card, Alli lost the trust of Coach Fabregas. He is currently training with players who are not on the roster of Como and have been excluded from the first-team squad. Son Heung-min also expressed his support for his revival in April, saying, "Alli is a really close friend. We still keep in touch. I just hope he does well. He's a really great player," but that wish has not come to fruition.
Ultimately, Dele Alli is now considering giving up his playing career. At just 29 years old, he is still at an age where he could play more, but after enduring too many hardships, he has lost his shine. Gazzetta reported, "Alli is pondering whether he really cannot be in the team and whether it is time to say 'enough' and may bitterly end his football career."
[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), ESPN FC, TNT Sports, Como social media.
[OSEN]