adminReporter: “Cole, what was said between you and Van de Ven when things escalated between you two?”
Cole Palmer: “I’m not going to sit here and act like everything was fine. It actually began in the tunnel before the game. He approached me and claimed Chelsea were overrated. I looked at him and said we’d see who was overrated once the match was over.
But once the game got underway, I was already frustrated because Tottenham were playing very aggressively. Then Fernandes flew in with that sliding challenge, and I lost my cool. This is football, not a war. I got up straight away and reacted, but I didn’t even touch him. Suddenly, he was rolling around on the ground as if he’d been hit with a hammer, and the Tottenham players started crowding around me.
That was when Van de Ven came right into my face, shouting all sorts of things. So when you ask why things got heated, that’s where it came from.”
Reporter: “What exactly did he say to you?”
Cole Palmer: “He looked me in the eye and called me a one-season wonder, then used a vulgar insult toward me.
Honestly, that really got to me because I wasn’t about to stand there and pretend we were friends. I told him to go f*** himself, that he plays for the worst team in England and should focus on figuring out how to stop fighting relegation every season.
But look, I’m not proud of how I reacted. When I look back at everything, I’m disappointed because I feel like I let my teammates down. I should have kept my head, regardless of what he said to me. I’m sorry to the team and the fans because the last thing I wanted was to do something that could cost Chelsea. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I have to take responsibility for that.”
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