Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi battle it out on the sidelines
Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi are both sent off as tempers flare on the sidelines during the Tottenham v Brighton clash… after the Italians feuded in north London before kick-off
- A pre-game argument quickly turned into a sideline fight in the second half
- Tottenham beat the Seagulls 2-1 at home after VAR ruled out the visitors’ lead
- They last faced each other as players in the 2008/09 Serie B season
Tottenham and Brighton managers Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi were both sent off during their North London clash between their sides after clashing on the touchline.
The two coaches and their staff got into an on-pitch fight before referee Stuart Attwell handed them both red cards and sent them through the Tottenham Hotspur stadium tunnel.
Stellini kept his distance from the main fight and was saddened to receive a card, but Attwell remained firm in his decision.
Before the game, the managers shook hands, but their greetings quickly soured as photos showed De Zerbi pointing his finger at Stellini and the Spurs manager becoming increasingly angry with what De Zerbi had to say.
The Italian managers have met before as players and clashed on the pitch during the 2008-09 Serie B season during their spells with Bari and Avellino.
Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi both received red cards after a brawl on the pitch
Stellini appeared to protest the referee’s decision, but eventually left the tunnel
Stellini and De Zerbi (center) previously faced each other as Serie B players in the 2000s
Coaching staff from both sides converged on the side of the field during the fight
Some Brighton players from De Zerbi stepped in to intervene
But rumors of continued bad blood between the pair were addressed by Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday.
Stelling explained that the Spurs manager would believe ‘The Zerbi was just benefiting from Graham Potter’s great work at Brighton.’
Before the match, however, Stellini acknowledged De Zerbi was an “aggressive” character, but praised his success this season at Brighton.
As a player he was aggressive. I challenged him sometimes and he was really aggressive.
The Italian manager picked up his second red card of the season, after one against Fulham
The Tottenham manager looked confused as to why he was shown a red card
Before the match, the pair had a friction-packed exchange as they met before kick-off
“He’s improved a lot. He has a great personality as a manager and he came here in a new country and quickly put his signature on his team.
“That is not easy for everyone and De Zerbi also shows that in England, in the Premier League he is a great manager.
“His results were definitely good results every time. He gave his team good qualities. He is very strong in the way he wants to play.’