Football Italia
·17 mars 2025
Como President reacts to Dele Alli red card: ‘Let them’ talk

Football Italia
·17 mars 2025
Como President Mirwan Suwarso backed Dele Alli after the Englishman received a red card in his Serie A debut against Milan: ‘The fire still burns.’
Former Tottenham star Dele Alli had a nightmare Serie A debut on Saturday as he received a straight red card just nine minutes after being introduced as a substitute in the second half.
The referee was urged at the pitchside monitor to review a foul on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who later admitted he hadn’t even realised Alli’s tackle was worthy of a red card.
As reported by Gazzetta, Como and their coach, Cesc Fabregas, have not blamed Alli, as the English midfielder surely didn’t want to hurt his opponent.
President Mirwan Suwarso clearly explained the club’s stance in an Instagram post.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mirwan Suwarso (@msuwarso)
“The fire still burns,” Suwarso wrote.
“After nearly two years, Dele Alli stepped back onto the battlefield. It takes courage to keep going, to fight through doubt, to silence the noise, and to return, not just to play, but to compete at the highest level once again.
“Some will talk about the red card. Let them. We saw something else. We saw hunger. We saw resilience. We saw flashes of brilliance. And those of us who watch him train every day know. This is only the beginning.
“The road back is never easy, but warriors don’t quit. Keep going, Dele. Your best is yet to come. Semm Cumasch.”
Milan defender Kyle Walker, Alli’s former teammate at Tottenham, even tried to convince the referee to save his compatriot from the red card after the VAR check.
Como sit 13th in the Serie A table, seven points above the relegation zone.