Walker divides opinions with Dele Alli red card intervention

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Peter Young | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 6:59 AM ET

Kyle Walker’s actions towards the end of Milan’s 2-1 victory over Como in Serie A have divided opinions in Italy, as some have praised him for his sportsmanship in trying to save former Tottenham teammate Dele Alli from being sent off, while others suggest he should not have let his personal relationships affect his decision making on the pitch.

Milan fought back to claim a 2-1 win over Como in San Siro on Saturday evening, a game which saw Dele Alli sent off in the 91st minute, 10 minutes into his Serie A debut, which was his first competitive match in over two years.

The former England international caught his former international colleague Ruben Loftus-Cheek with his studs on the back of the calf, which originally earned him a yellow before a VAR review resulted in the decision being upgraded to a red.

Realising that Alli was about to be given his marching orders, his former Tottenham teammate and current Milan right-back Walker made a gesture to the referee in an attempt to spare his friend from a sending off.

Should Walker have tried to stop Dele Alli being sent off in Milan 2-1 Como?

Walker’s action earned respect from some. Given the off-pitch battles that Alli has come through over the last few years, it is clear that Walker had attempted to spare his friend from any unwanted attention.

Others, however, suggest that Walker should not have been affected by the fact that Alli is a close friend. La Gazzetta dello Sport proposes the hypothetical question: What would have happened had Alli stayed on the pitch and then scored an injury-time equaliser?

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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