England coach Ashley Cole was sent off during a heated touchline melee during the Young Lions’ European Under-21 Championship victory over Spain.
The unsavoury scenes occurred in first-half stoppage-time when the Young Lions took the lead thanks to a deflected free-kick from Cole Palmer.
That goal put England 1-0 up in the showpiece event, however Spain’s backroom team were unhappy due to an alleged handball from Curtis Jones to send the ball into the back of the net.
After seeing the net bulge, Man City starlet Palmer raced off to celebrate in front of the two dugouts, glaring at the Spanish bench in the process.
While the full incident wasn’t picked up by the TV cameras in Georgia, it was that celebration that seemed to ignite the flame in the technical areas as members from both nations’ backroom teams clashed on the touchlines.
Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Cole was one of the coaches in the centre of the action, and as a result he was shown a red card and sent to the stands, along with a member of Spain’s support staff.
It was unclear as to what had specifically happened, with talkSPORT commentators Alex Crook and Darren Ambrose trying to get to the bottom of it on air.
Darren Ambrose: “It’s all kicking off on the edge of the touchline now. There are coaches involved, Ashley Cole is trying to be the peacemaker.”
Alex Crook: “I’m not sure exactly what’s sparked this. The referee has got a yellow card in his hand for Colwill and Sancet and he’s also having a conversation with the VAR. Abel Ruis, the Spain captain, is appealing about something.
“Still members of England coaching staff, Ashley Cole there having to be shepherded away – was it maybe over exuberant celebrations that the Spanish bench took offence to?”
Ambrose: “I don’t know, I think they’re claiming something happened in the free-kick. I think they’re claiming it was handball, but it actually appears the ball hit Curtis Jones’ back and then went in. The England players are set up to take the centre. It was as they were celebrating, you just saw it all starting to kick off on the touchline, all the staff were involved.”
Crook: “To be fair to the England staff, I think they were just trying to get all their players away.
“There’s a red card out here now, I think it’s to a member of the Spanish backroom staff… now there’s another red card, and it’s been shown to Ashley Cole! Ashley Cole has been sent off for England!”
Ambrose: “Ashley doesn’t look happy there. Initially when I was looking at it, he was being the peacemaker for the england players, and now he’s been sent off.”
England managed to finish off the job thanks to James Trafford’s last-gasp penalty save to help the Young Lions to their first European crown since 1984.
