Aston Villa were involved in a heated pre-season friendly with Marseille on Saturday, with both sets of players clashing on the pitch and in the tunnel at full-time
Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi (R) argues with offcials and Aston Villa' boss Unai Emery
Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi (R) argues with offcials and Aston Villa' boss Unai Emery
Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has explained his touchline confrontation with Aston Villa chief Unai Emery following Saturday's pre-season clash at the Stade Vélodrome.
The encounter proved a fiery affair between Villa and their French opponents, largely due to Marseille's players attempting to rouse their capacity crowd.
Newcastle United get their Premier League season under way against Emery's side at Villa Park next Saturday, with the Villans completing their summer schedule against Villarreal tonight.
Following an early setback, Villa captain John McGinn scored in the eighth minute to restore parity after Mason Greenwood had broken the deadlock.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's late brace ultimately sealed Villa's fate, though Emery will doubtless be thankful his squad emerged unscathed given the rising tensions during the second period.
Evidently frustrated by several challenges from Marseille players and their on-field behaviour, Emery voiced his displeasure as the match drew to a close, reports Birmingham Live.
De Zerbi reacted from the technical area, engaging in a verbal exchange with the Villa manager, and during his post-match media briefing, the Italian was questioned about what had particularly wound him up.
"The match was heated, but that's also what people came to see," he said. "They paid to come, they could have gone to the beach but they came to the Vélodrome.
"With Unai, he complained about my players, and I didn't like that. It's up to me to talk to them; the opposing coach must look after his players.
"What I liked was the stadium, the enthusiasm of the crowd, and the atmosphere. We savoured it all. We played a great match against a very strong team, led by one of the best coaches in Europe.
"We could have been more aggressive in the first half, and higher up the pitch without the ball. Which we managed to do in the second half. It was harder for Aston Villa to get past the midfield," the Italian coach disclosed to the press.
"At this level, there are never any friendly matches or training sessions: when you wear the jersey, you have to be 100 per cent. We mustn't get caught out, because Friday's match will be completely different.
"The important thing is to maintain the same attitude, not to play superficially and not to think we're better than we are. We'll see the result later, but attitude must never be a mistake."
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