Roberto De Zerbi has explained his touchline clash with Unai Emery following Marseille's fiery 3-1 friendly win over Aston Villa. The tension boiled over after Mason Greenwood's bust-up with Tyrone Mings, with the OM boss revealing he 'didn't like' Emery complaining about his players.

Greenwood clash with Mings sparks mass melee in friendlyDe Zerbi unhappy with Emery’s criticism of Marseille playersExchanged words after tense gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The bad blood began when Greenwood’s late challenge on Amadou Onana sparked a melee between both sets of players. Mings intervened, grabbing Greenwood by the collar, which tore the striker’s shirt as tempers flared. The hostility carried on after the final whistle, with Emery and De Zerbi exchanging words on the touchline.

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Speaking to the media about what incited his shouting match with Emery during the tense match, De Zerbi said: "The match was tense, but that’s also what the people came to see. They paid to come; they could have gone to the beach, but they came to the Velodrome. Unai? He complained about my players, and I didn’t like that. It’s up to me to talk to them; the opposing manager has to take care of his players."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While only a pre-season friendly, the game had the intensity of a competitive fixture. De Zerbi’s comments highlight his belief in defending his players from outside criticism, which he has often done over the course of his career.

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

Marseille will aim to channel that fiery spirit into their Ligue 1 campaign. Villa, meanwhile, will hope to avoid carrying any despair from the loss into their own domestic preparations.