Como head coach Cesc Fàbregas strongly criticised former Tottenham star Dele Alli after the midfielder was sent off just 10 minutes into his Serie A debut. However, many fans expressed sympathy for the 28-year-old.

The ex-England international joined Como on a free transfer in January and made his first appearance in almost two years on Saturday night against AC Milan. His last competitive match had been in February 2023 while on loan at Turkish club Beşiktaş. Alli was introduced in the 81st minute of the match, facing his former Spurs teammate Kyle Walker.

However, his long-awaited return quickly turned into a nightmare. Initially shown a yellow card for catching Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the back of the ankle, referee Matteo Marchetti upgraded the decision to a red following a VAR review—despite Walker's efforts to defend his former colleague.

At the time, Como were trailing 2-1, and Fàbregas had turned to Alli in the hope of securing an equaliser. Instead, the former Arsenal midfielder was left fuming over his player’s dismissal, describing the tackle as "painful to watch" in his post-match press conference.

In an interview with DAZN, Fàbregas suggested that Alli may not have even deserved the opportunity to play, having only trained with Como for a fortnight as he attempts to resurrect his career.

"At that moment, Milan had just gone 2-1 up. I had intended to bring on Sergi Roberto, but I preferred to give him another two weeks of training so he would be fully prepared to start against Empoli," Fàbregas explained.

"Dele Alli is a player capable of scoring goals, but perhaps he did not merit this opportunity because he has only been working with us for two weeks and still has a lot to improve. It was a grave mistake—one that we should not see from a player of his experience.

"The red card was clear-cut; there is nothing to debate. He left the team with 10 men at a crucial moment when we were pushing for 2-2. That was the most disappointing aspect of the evening, but we must move forward."

Despite his early dismissal, some supporters felt Alli was harshly treated on his Serie A debut, particularly given the circumstances of the foul.

Walker was visibly pleading with the referee not to send Alli off, but once the VAR review was initiated, the decision seemed inevitable.

One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter): "That’s only a yellow. The force was minimal. Slow motion makes it look 10 times worse."

Another commented: "Even Walker was arguing against the red card. That’s actually heartbreaking."

A third added: "The guy can’t catch a break. Hope this doesn’t ruin his chances."

Another supporter wrote: "Feel for Dele. He has been through so much, and now this happens."