Kyle Walker’s actions towards the end of AC Milan’s win over Como have divided opinion, specifically his reaction to Dele Alli being sent off.
Alli was initially shown a yellow card for a nasty studs-up challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but after a VAR check it was upgraded to a red card. As the referee Matteo Marchetti was about to show the red card, Walker ran over and tried to convince him not to.
As Calciomercato.com write, while Alli’s challenge itself could be put down to rustiness (mentally and physically) or perhaps trying too hard to impose himself during his Como debut, Walker’s reaction is somewhat more puzzling.
Nonetheless, the pair are compatriots and were team-mates both at Tottenham and with the England national team. The Rossoneri right-back knows his colleague’s career and personal situation well (Alli suffered from depression and other health problems), and his reaction showed some empathy.
Dele Alli spoke in an interview with Gary Neville in the summer of 2023: “I used sleeping pills and alcohol to numb my feelings, I decided to go to the clinic because I felt I was losing the battle. At six years old I was molested. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, then I was sent back. At seven I started smoking, at eight I started dealing drugs.”
The background then provides reasoning for the understandable compassion, yet the incident remains strange: a player with great experience who asked for a red card not to be given to an opponent with the result of the match still in the balance in the 81st minute.
Alli’s absence from the pitch that lasted two very long years and in those tense minutes at San Siro, Walker thought about a troubled friend more than an opponent. Yet, some Milan fans believe it to be a ‘genuine lack of professionalism’.
In their opinion, friendship stays outside the playing field and can manifest itself in other contexts and circumstances. The most popular question is this, what if the red card were halted and Alli had scored the equaliser in the 96th minute?
Clearly, not everyone has the same interpretation of Walker’s gesture, though some saw it as a total lack of respect towards Milan. Both sides must be highlighted and understood with the awareness of what Alli represents to Walker.
So imagine this. Next season Milan plays Man City and then Walker ask the referee that he doesn’t give a 2nd yellow to a random city player because he knows that he lost his mother last week. An example.
Here is another one, Jude Bellingham tries to get the referee to not give a card to Jobe Bellingham.
That isn’t compasion, if it was anything else but football it would be called much differently.
How about this, you work at a company and you make the situation worse for your company because you were “compassionate” towards a rival in another company. You are fired, goodbye.
“Both sides must be highlighted and understood with the awareness of what Alli represents to Walker.”
No they don’t, the “other” side is irrelevant. Walker is paid by Milan, he can hangout with Alli and carry him on his shoulders the entire day if he wants. In his own time.
You’re making up scenarios which won’t actually happen.
Rushes to the head are not uncommon, otherwise we wouldn’t have things like Zidanes headbutt on Materazzi or Beckhams retaliatory kick against Simeone (both during World Cups).
Does Walker go around being compassionate to other players all the time? Did he complain when Gimenez got that Empoli player sent off? Or when Feyenoord’s Read got sent off?
Milan fans making a mountain out of a mole hole.
How often does Walker play against his friends in Italy? You wrote the most stupid reply ever. No point to even reference those red cards, those people are obviously not his personal friends that he knows for decades. I mean I have to be captain obvious but even from my examples you should have figured the point out. Even though you didn’t mean that I will use your sentence and agree that Walker is kind of a potential mole. Maybe some of his other friends will get some info they don’t need. You know, friends come first.
I don’t care if he had a “rush” to the head or what. Milan shouldn’t pay him anymore and that is it. It is really simple. I’d say goodbye to him in 3 months and find a RB that will give his heart out for Milan and won’t try to help the opponent. Be it his brother or some random guy, irrelevant.
Bold of you to assume we’re playing Man City next season.
I knew you were dumb but you reached a whole new level here.
It has something to do with honor. It’s nice that there is still such a thing.
Milan shirt should make you more of a man than a cheap person. Honor is above all, that’s why Milan is Milan and I’m proud of supporting them.
Correct. It’s a clear divide between opportunistic souls and those with honor which is above the game.
It’s not a big deal but Walker is wrong on this one. First of all it was a clear red card. Secondly, RLC is also his fellow countryman and he was just returning from injury and could have been severely injured by that challenge.
And third, you are at Milan now, so shut the F up and never speak against the family again.
It’s not really a ‘family’ more like a bunch of squatters coming and going.
Hilarious people expect these randomers to have any kind of loyalty.
He didn’t see countless replays it as he was not glued to the TV screen like some of you were. He was playing. Sometimes this things happen. An similar incident happened between Mitrovic and Soucek..where one was given a red card for an elbow on the face, but the recipient of the Elbow was pleading the case that it was a mistake. Yes Nowhere near this one, but point is most players don’t go hoping someone is sent off to win games. This Dele Ali’s one was bad, but did any of us think it was a red card initially. No, so it was a rush of blood in Walkers’ case. It happens..Give him a break. The real question is how we have stooped so low to hoping a player gets sent off so we can comfortably win against COMO?? That’s the question. Maybe Walker coming from Man.city after winning those so many titles took it for granted because they usually didn’t need a man to be sent off, to spank the opponent.
And after certain people here are crying all over the place, Dele Ali and RLC look like they are dying like some right?..
Dele Alli is not a malicious player. Didn’t deserve a Red Card.
Roy Keane was a malicious player – should have been banned for life after the Haaland challenge.
Should Walker have done it? No.
But it is the red who makes the call and stands by it. So the system works. Ref was not going to change his mind because Walker said something any more than what Fabregas was yelling.
Teachable moment. Sarge, “Hey Kyle, I see why you did that but it wasn’t appropriate to the situation.”
Done. Simple. This is not the drama you are looking for. Move along.
This is a non discussion. The referee decides, there is nothing a player can do. A player could be booked for trying to influence the referee, but Walker wasn’t. Walker didn’t influence the referee, and the referee shouldn’t be influenced by a player and he wasn’t. You could probably figure he had some sympathy for his friend from Tottenham, that’s called compassion. That’s the end of the story.
Walker is a very stupid man. There is no other explanation.
Media just hunting for reasons to put Milan players down. This is a nonissue
First people b*tch and cry here that players aren’t emotionless machines and when they do show signs of emotions they’re labeled as traitors and unprofessional. LOL. Some of you people are hilarious – and not in the good way. 🙂
Or maybe he should also show compassion toward RLC his own countrymen who just back from a long time injury and anyone who arent stupidly blind can see that tackle was terrible as it could break his ankle!!, i often agree with your statement especially towards Leao but in this particular case you are obviously a clown.
Could have but didn’t. If RLC had been in heart-breaking pain Walker would have acted differently.
Also, the stupidly blind ref didn’t see it as a dangerous tackle. None of the players on the pitch saw it as a dangerous tackle as no-one demanded a straight red. But I’m sure you immediately saw that Alli had actually stepped on RLC’s achilles instead of just kicking him, right? You must be really proud of yourself as no one on the pitch saw it. 🙂
I am a clown for questioning people’s double-standards? Sure, sure… 😀 😀 😀
Thats why VAR exist just because we cant see it then you justified the action then??? its literally the same situation with Reinjders in UCL where VAR interfering and handed a red to the opponent, what double standard huh?? its the rule and VAR also part of the rule stop being a silly white knight, your IQ must be be low for saying that we need to see it ourselves without VAR to even justified it what a silly and stupid remarks lmaoooooo
“Thats why VAR exist just because we cant see it then you justified the action then???”
What has Reijnders have to do with this? Nothing. What does watching the incident from VAR have to do with this? Nothing. We’re talking about emotions and reactions. Walker felt bad/sorry for Alli and it was a human thing to do. Obviously you’re too young to understand how human emotions work or what they ever are I suppose.
I’m not debating on whether it was the right thing to do or not. I’m pointing out the double-standards of some people here. They demand our players to act like emotionless machines and only care about winning but at the same time claim “they’re only humans” when others ask them to perform week in week out.
I see a lot of name-calling and whining from you and that should hint who the real “clown” here is. 🙂
💯
I bet Walker’s wife wishes he was as committed to her as he is to Dele Alli.