'I didn't like that' - Roberto De Zerbi explains feud with Unai Emery after tensions flared amid Mason Greenwood bust-up during Marseille's friendly with Aston Villa

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.

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."

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.

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.