Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has explained that he kissed Rodrigo Bentancur in the dressing room after the midfielder was sent off during Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, saying his team needed to show character and refuse to accept defeat.
Bentancur was introduced in the 66th minute for Lucas Bergvall but received a straight red card in the 78th minute following an altercation with Manchester United defender Luke Shaw.
De Zerbi condemned the midfielder’s conduct but said he valued the fighting spirit behind his reaction as Tottenham sought to respond to adversity.
“I like the situation with Rodrigo Bentancur with the red card. We need it in this moment, this situation. Not to bring a red card, but we have not accepted the defeat,” he told Sky Sports.
He added that the dismissal was not the right way to react but explained why he kissed the Uruguayan in the dressing room.
“It’s a bad way; it’s not the right way, but I kissed Bentancur in the dressing room because we need this reaction, this type of reaction with character. Football is character,” De Zerbi said.
Manchester United took the lead in the 73rd minute through Bryan Mbeumo, who finished after receiving a pass from Matheus Cunha.
Despite playing with 10 men following Bentancur’s dismissal, Tottenham salvaged a point when Dominic Solanke headed home in the 92nd minute.
Solanke welcomed the result, praising his teammates for their response after falling behind.
“The character shown was magnificent,” he said, adding that Tottenham had previously struggled to respond effectively when conceding first.
The striker admitted he had missed chances but said he continued working to find scoring opportunities. He also described scoring while captaining the club for the first time as a moment he would remember throughout his career.
Solanke said Tottenham had dominated the first half but lacked finishing quality, adding that the draw could provide a foundation for improvement.
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