Let’s take you back to the 2016 Euros, when Italy were still managed by Antonio Conte, having picked the likes of Graziano Pellè and Emanuele Giaccherini for his squad.
The Italians ended up being the surprises of the competition, notably knocking out Spain, kicking off their run with a 2-0 win against Belgium.
The first of those goals, a long ball from Leonardo Bonucci to the aforementioned Giaccherini, left two Belgian defenders red-faced: Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld and Laurent Ciman.
The latter of the two lost the diminutive forward, while the Spurs centre-back misjudged the flight of the ball.
As soon as the ball found the back of the net, Alderweireld can be seen turning towards his teammate and shouting at him, venting his frustration, clearly believing it was his mistake and not his.
After the game, the Tottenham defender pointed fingers, stating: “I’m in the wrong, but others could have played it better. Was there a need to come forward? Follow your man?”
That was clearly a message for Ciman, who, two years later, decided to explain the situation, revealing he wasn’t best pleased with what Alderweireld said.
He told Sport/Foot: “I think the most important thing in the national team is respect. I’ve always had it towards my teammates. What annoys me is when it doesn’t go both ways. For example, it’s easy to blame me for the goal against Italy. However, I feel Toby is also at fault in it.
“Did I come out and openly state it was his fault? No. Did he? Yes. So, I explained to him that it was the last time he spoke about me in that way to the press. In fact, I think it’s the last time he has said my name to a newspaper.”
The 33-year-old, who has played for the likes of Club Brugge and Standard Liège throughout his career, is now at Dijon in Ligue 1, having joined from Los Angeles FC in the summer.
