Dele Alli's long-awaited return to football ended in disaster as he was sent off just ten minutes into his Como debut against AC Milan.
The former England midfielder had not played a competitive match for over two years before Saturday's appearance at the San Siro.
Alli, 28, joined the Serie A side in January on a free transfer, signing an 18-month deal.
His previous match came for Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig on February 26, 2023.
Dele Alli's long-awaited return to football ended in disaster as he was sent off just ten minutes into his Como debut against AC Milan
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What should have been a celebratory comeback quickly turned into a nightmare for the ex-Tottenham star.
Alli was initially shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the closing stages of the match.
The midfielder appeared to rake his studs down the back of the former Chelsea player's leg.
📽️ | 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: Kyle Walker tried to stop the referee from sending off his former teammate Dele Alli on his Como debut. 🏴🤯
— Milan Xtra (@MilanXtra) March 15, 2025
Walker showing that sometimes it's bigger than football. Pure class. 🥺
#⃣ | #MilanComo 2-1pic.twitter.com/KF26FU5Bhi
VAR quickly intervened, prompting referee Matteo Marchetti to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
After studying the tackle for several minutes, Marchetti upgraded Alli's punishment from yellow to red.
The dismissal meant Alli's first appearance in 749 days lasted just ten minutes before he was heading back to the dressing room.
The red card sparked fury on the Como bench, with head coach Cesc Fabregas also seeing red shortly afterwards.
Even Milan's Kyle Walker attempted to intervene on Alli's behalf.
The former England and Spurs teammate of Alli was seen begging the referee not to send the 28-year-old off.
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Walker's pleas fell on deaf ears as Marchetti stood by his decision following the VAR review.
Como's management were clearly incensed by what they perceived as harsh treatment of their new signing.
Alli's career has seen a dramatic decline since his early promise.
He broke through as a teenager at MK Dons before securing a big-money move to Tottenham in 2015.
Dele Alli's red card sparked fury among Como players and staff
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At his peak, Alli earned 37 England caps and was considered one of the country's brightest talents.
However, his fortunes have waned significantly over the past five years.
After leaving Spurs, he endured an unhappy three-year spell at Everton.
This led to a loan move to Besiktas in 2023, where he struggled to make an impact.
