Young Spanish manager Cesc Fabregas has spoken out after appearing to pull the shirt of an opposition player during a Serie A game. The incident occurred on Wednesday, as Como drew 1-1 with AC Milan at the San Siro.
In the 78th minute, Milan right-back Alexis Saelemaekers lost control of the ball near the sideline in front of Fabregas. The former Arsenal and Barcelona star could not resist the urge to help out his team, as he raised his right arm and made contact with the Milan defender.
Saelemaekers reacted angrily and pointed at Fabregas before running towards his area, which sparked an exchange on the sidelines. AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was subsequently shown a red card.
Allegri Sent Off After Clashing With Fabregas
It will come as no surprise that Allegri was left furious by the incident, especially as Fabregas avoided any punishment. According to reports in in Italy, via The Sun, Allegri ranted at his rival, saying:
“You are a child… you are an idiot! A child who became a coach yesterday.”
Before his post-match news conference and still in the heat of the moment, Allegri then told the press, via ESPN: "Next time someone is on the line, I'll also go on the pitch and make a tackle."
Having calmed down a little later, he then said in his post-match news conference: "When you are on the pitch you have to be respectful towards your rivals and referees. He is a very young coach, he's just getting started. He is doing well. I hope he wins a lot in his career and has all the capability to do so. A young coach like him need experience, with experience you improve, you mature."
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Fabregas Apologises for AC Milan Incident with Saelemaekers
For his part, Fabregas has accepted full responsibility and apologised after the incident. The Como manager said:
“I apologise, it was just a little touch and Allegri’s response was exaggerated, but I admit I shouldn’t have done it.
"It was unsporting behaviour, as Cristian Chivu said the other day, we’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, especially if you are a coach.
“I would’ve got angry too, so I can only apologise and say I hope it never happens again in my career.”
With both teams fighting for important things in Serie A, it's not hard to understand why tensions might have been high on the day. After all, the draw now means that AC Milan have missed the opportunity to cut the gap to rivals Inter, who sit at the top of the table, to five points.
Elsewhere, Como are currently sixth and chasing a place in Europe for next season. Fabregas is earning lots of praise for the job he's doing in Italy, with former Chelsea teammate John Terry backing him to become a future Premier League boss, but he won't want to get caught up in more controversy like this anytime soon.