Tottenham and Getafe played a closed-door friendly at the Spurs training ground on Saturday that ended in a 1-1 draw. The match was marred by aggression, specifically a heated confrontation between new signing Sandro Tonali and Getafe's Mario Martin.
Sandro Tonali's £100m friction with Mario Martin
The match shifted from a routine pre-season exercise to a volatile encounter when Sandro Tonali , who joined Tottenham from Newcastle for £100 million this summer, clashed with Getafe's Mario Martin. According to the report, the incident began after Tonali beat Martin to the ball and shoved him to the ground; Martin retaliated by leaving a dangerous challenge as Tonali attempted to move the ball forward .
The resulting confrontation saw Sandro Tonali chase his opponent, grabbing Martin's shoulder and pushing him multiple times, including a strike to the neck. The skirmish expanded as several Getafe players rushed toward the referee, while Tottenham's Andy Robertson was forced to intervene, shoving Kiko Femenia away to prevent further escalation.
Jan Paul van Hecke's critique of Getafe's 'dirty tactics'
Jan Paul van Hecke, the centre-back who arrived at Tottenham from Brighton in a £52 million deal, publicly criticized the Spanish side's approach following the game. Van Hecke stated that while physical games can be beneficial, the level of aggression from Getafe was "a bit too much," suggesting that in a competitive match, the visitors might have faced two or three red cards.
This encounter echoes a long-standing reputation Getafe holds within European football for a "rough-house" style of play. For Tottenham, this serves as a high-intensity litmus test. As reported, Van Hecke believes that if players do not "put your foot in" against such opponents, they will inevitably lose the physical battles that define professional football.
A 66th-minute Risco goal and Conor Gallagher's late equalizer
Despite the chaos, the scoring remained dormant until the final stages of the 70-minute match. Getafe broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when Alberto Risco struck a volley past Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. The lead was short-lived, as Conor Gallagher secured a draw for Tottenham in the final minute with a neat finish following a strong run.
Tottenham nearly snatched a victory in the closing moments, but a header from Richarlison was saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria. The first half remained goalless, though Lucas Bergvall provided the most dangerous effort for the home side , while Andy Gray was credited with a key block against Ebrahima Drammeh.
The mystery of the six unused substitutes
One of the most unusual aspects of the match was manager De Zerbi's tactical rigidity; as the report says, De Zerbi made no changes throughout the 70 minutes of play. This is particularly striking given that six young substitutes and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario were named to the bench, yet none were utilized.
Several questions remain regarding the nature of this fixture. It is unclear why the match was played behind closed doors or why the coaching staff opted against rotating players in a friendly designed for fitness . Furthermore, while Van Hecke's frustrations are documented, the source provides no response from Getafe regarding the accusations of "dirty tactics," leaving the Spanish club's perspective on the violence absent from the record.
Tottenham now prepare for a double-header against Bundesliga side Hoffenheim next Saturday and Sunday before their Premier League campaign begins against Brentford on August 22.
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