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Why the linesman broke down in tears after Aston Villa's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig

john townley
·2-min read
Aston Villa beat RB Leipzig on Tuesday night
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images)


RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose revealed why linesman Alessandro Giallatini burst into tears after the conclusion of Aston Villa's 3-2 win over RB Leipzig.

Giallatini was seen crying and sharing a moment with Rose as both sets of players and coaches were shaking hands in Germany. The Italian official had overseen Villa's latest Champions League triumph, as Ross Barkley's deflected strike moved Unai Emery's side up to third in the table and on course for automatic qualification to the knockouts.

John McGinn opened the scoring in the third minute of play, finishing off an excellent move from Villa. Matty Cash's cross was headed down by Ollie Watkins so McGinn could fire them into an early lead.

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Jhon Duran restored Villa's lead in the second half after Lois Openda took full advantage of a defensive mix-up halfway through the first period. After Christopher Baumgartner pegged Villa back again, Barkley came off the bench to fire in the winner via a big deflection.

It was Villa's fourth win from six Champions League games, but as the television cameras panned around the pitch, footage showed Giallatini in tears.

That's because Tuesday's fixture marked the 49-year-old's last ever game as an assistant referee. Giallatini's career highlights include working on the 2020 Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

"It was his last game, so that is why he was very emotional," Rose confirmed in his post-match press conference. "I hope he was not sad and more happy about what he saw in his life and what he achieved as a referee. A nice story, a human story."