Dele Alli Shares WhatsApp Chat with Ruben Loftus-Cheek After Como Red Card

Dele Alli shared a WhatsApp chat with Ruben Loftus-Cheek after his red card on his Como debut.

Dele Alli Makes Long-Awaited Return to Football

After more than two years away from competitive football, Dele Alli finally stepped back onto the pitch on Saturday night.

The former Tottenham star made his debut for Serie B side Como, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute against AC Milan.

It was his first competitive appearance since February 2023, when he played for Turkish club Besiktas.

Dele Alli Sent Off on Como Debut

Unfortunately for Alli, his much-anticipated return was marred by a late red card.

In the first minute of stoppage time, he was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

However, after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a straight red, leaving Como with 10 men in the final moments of the game.

Alli’s former England teammate Kyle Walker – now of AC Milan – appeared to plead with the officials to reconsider, but the decision stood.

Dele Alli was sent off after receiving a red card just nine minutes into his first professional appearance in two years.

Even Kyle Walker was pleading with the ref to keep the initial yellow and to not change it to a red 💔 pic.twitter.com/B6hWGYeHks

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 15, 2025

Dele Alli Reacts to Red Card on Instagram

The following morning, Alli took to Instagram to express his thoughts on the incident.

Posting on his Instagram story, he wrote, “I was always going to announce my return in some way after these past two years, would rather it had been with a goal [cover face emoji] but feels good to be back [love heart emoji].”

Later, he shared more images from the match, including shots from the game and a dressing room picture ahead of kick-off.

WhatsApp Conversation Between Dele Alli and Ruben Loftus-Cheek

One of the most talked-about moments post-match was Alli revealing a WhatsApp conversation with Loftus-Cheek.

In the chat, Alli itted to trying to clip the AC Milan midfielder’s heel, while Loftus-Cheek responded by saying he stayed down because he was “blowing” in the final stages of the game.

This light-hearted exchange showed no hard feelings between the two players despite the controversy surrounding the challenge.

Dele Alli shares the WhatsApp conversation he had with Ruben Loftus-Cheek after he was shown a red card on debut for a challenge on his friend 😅

📸 IG: dele pic.twitter.com/eNRdxTD6V1

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 16, 2025

Como Manager Cesc Fabregas Criticizes Dele Alli’s Red Card

Como manager Cesc Fabregas did not defend his new g’s actions.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, he said, “Dele Alli is a player who can score goals, he perhaps didn’t deserve this opportunity because he has only been working with us for two weeks and has a lot to improve.

“It is a grave mistake, one that we should not see from a player of his experience.”

Fabregas was clear in his stance, adding, “It was a clear red card, there’s nothing to be said about that. He left the team down to 10 men during a crucial moment when we were pushing for 2-2.

“That is the most negative thing about this evening, but we keep going.”

Despite the setback, Alli’s return to football is a positive step for the former England international, who has endured a difficult period in his career.

Como will hope that with more training and match fitness, Alli can contribute significantly to their Serie A campaign.