'One second is too late, but it was much more!' - Sergino Dest dropped to PSV bench for disciplinary breach as Peter Bosz fumes at USMNT star after Champions League rout of Napoli

Dest looked set to feature against Napoli after appearing at the pre-match press conference alongside Bosz ahead of the game against the Italian champions. The USMNT star spoke to the media about how much he was looking forward to the game.

"You go into a Champions League match with a different focus," he said. "You have to show character. Such matches are just different to play. For these matches you want to become a professional footballer. It’s a chance to compete with the best in the world. We have to be sharp and put pressure on. If we do that we can take them out of their game. Serie A is a great league, with strong teams. Napoli is one of them. They will be hard to beat. They have good players and a great coach."

However, Dest was then left out of the starting XI and only featured for the last six minutes after coming on as a late substitute. PSV had already wrapped up the game by that point, smashing six goals past Antonio Conte's injury-hit side to complete an impressive 6-2 victory.

Bosz spoke about Dest's absence afterwards and sent a strong message to the United States men's national team star.

Bosz told Ziggo Sports: "Sergino was late, so you don't play. It wasn't a difficult decision at all; we made agreements. Everyone has to stick to them, including him. Very unfortunate for us, and for him too. He would have loved to show up. For me, one second is too late, but it was much more. You can just be on time, come on.

"This happens at every club; we set the bar high in everything, including discipline. Other clubs will handle it differently, but if you don't, everyone knows the consequences. I never considered making a different decision for a second."

Dest had started all eight Eredivisie games for PSV ahead of Tuesday's match and will surely have been disappointed to be benched for such a huge game. However, Bosz is known for his strict time-keeping and previously dished out similar treatment to Dest's USMNT team-mate Malik Tillman after he missed a morning meeting.

Tillman subsequently confessed to The Athletic that he had overslept but had learned his lesson. He said: “I overslept. I didn’t make it to the training ground and when I knew I wouldn’t get there in time I called the team manager and told him. At first, he said OK come straight to the hotel but then he called again and said he’s spoken to the coach (Bosz) and I should stay home. So, yeah, I stayed home. I apologized to the team and afterwards I showed I have learned from it. I need to show it will never happen again.”

Bosz isn't the only high-profile manager to demand punctuality from his players. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has benched stars including Jules Kounde, Inaki Pena and Marcus Rashford during his time at the club after the players were late.

Bosz was thrilled to see his side beat Napoli and urged his players to enjoy the moment, just not too much. He told reporters: "They can celebrate but they don’t have to go out to the pubs because now we start to prepare for Sunday."

PSV head to league leaders Feyenoord next in a match that could have a big say on where the Eredivisie title ends up at the end of the season. Feyenoord lead the table by three points from PSV after nine games, making it a crucial match for both teams.

As for Dest, he will surely be eager to make amends for his midweek disappointment and return to the starting XI as PSV continue the defence of their title.