Roberto De Zerbi admitted that he had kissed midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur in the dressing room after the latter received a red card in Tottenham’s 1‑1 draw with Manchester United. The Italian‑born coach said the reaction was exactly what his side needed after the 78th‑minute dismissal, which left Spurs a man down and with a 1‑0 deficit.
Bentancur was sent off for a headbutt on Luke Shaw following a challenge that sparked a melee. The red card came just five minutes after Bryan Mbeumo had opened the scoring for the hosts, leaving the team in a precarious position. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Tottenham dug in and, in stoppage time, captain Dominic Solanke struck a late equaliser to salvage a point for the capital club.
When asked about the incident, De Zerbi explained that the team required a “reaction” to keep their morale high. “We need to react in all ways we can. It is a bad way, not the right way, but I kiss Bentancur in the dressing room because we need this type of reaction with character,” he told Sky Sports. “Football is character.” The coach praised Bentancur’s character, arguing that the player’s emotional response, though costly, showed the grit the squad needs to win games.
De Zerbi reflected on the match, noting that Tottenham had dominated the first half and created numerous chances but failed to convert them. He said that the second half was “normal to suffer in this stadium against this quality of players,” yet he remained pleased with the team’s spirit. “Today we showed we are a team for the first time this season, we suffer, we dominate the game. With every situation in the game we were in the game. Football is like this. If we become every game like today, we are going to win many games,” he added.
The result keeps Tottenham in the upper half of the Premier League table, but the loss of a player and the need for discipline will be a focus for De Zerbi as the club prepares for its next fixtures. The manager’s comments suggest that he will continue to push his squad to respond strongly in adversity, hoping that the character displayed against United will translate into more consistent performances in the weeks ahead.