Gent midfielder Brecht Dejaegere was left in agony by Alli’s challenge late in the first half of the Europa League clash at Wembley, where a 2-2 draw saw Spurs eliminated from the competition.
Dejaegere revealed Alli had apologised to him after the game but admitted: “Someone showed me the image at half-time and my heart was thumping for a few seconds. I also felt pain in my knee. It could have been much worse, but I don’t think he meant it because he came to apologise himself.
“It was nice of him, he’s a professional. On another day, the same thing could happen to him. It is part of the job. I felt it was really hard tackle but then in the moment, you turn a switch in your head and try to focus on the game.
“If you play at Wembley in front of so many people, you try to carry on and that is what I did in the second half. But then it didn’t go well, I still felt pain, so I had to come off after 10 minutes of the second half. After the game I was also in pain, the muscles were stiff.
“Even with 10 men they created a lot of chances but maybe in Tottenham’s minds, the sending-off made a bit of a difference. They were still finding a free man even with 10 men, though.”
According to Article 15 of UEFA’s disciplinary regulations, players are banned for three matches “for assaulting another player”, though they can also collect five matches “for serious assault”.
In Pictures | Tottenham vs Gent | 23/02/2017
It is understood, however, that the latter scenario is less likely as this is usually reserved for incidents when the intent is obvious, such as punching another player or kicking him off the ball. Another unlikely possibility is that Alli is banned for just one match if his tackle is deemed merely “rough play”.
Alli apologised both to his team-mates and to Dejaegere after the game, following the first red card of his career in competitive senior football.
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“Of course he said sorry,” said Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld. “He didn’t meant to get sent off. Two seconds earlier he was fouled and he reacted to that, but he didn’t meant to get a red card – I know that 100 per cent. He is young and he will learn from that.”
Meanwhile, Dejaegere suggested staging home games at Wembley, as Tottenham are highly likely to do next season, will give “five per cent extra” extra to their opponents.
Spurs have won only one of their last eight games there and Dejaegere said: “Maybe now they often lose their games here and maybe it can go in the heads of the players, but one victory could turn everything. White Hart Lane is a fantastic stadium for anyone to play at but maybe with Wembley there is five per cent extra.”
