Aston Villa were jubilant after condemning RB Leipzig to their sixth Champions League defeat in as many games with a dramatic 3-2 triumph on Tuesday. The Bundesliga club had responded to two go-ahead goals but couldn’t claw back after Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute winner, moments after replacing Youri Tielemans.
Villa’s players, staff and supporters understandably embarked on scenes of celebration after full-time, having soared up to third in the Champions League table.
But amidst the revelry, assistant referee Alessandro Giallatini could have been mistaken for a suffering Leipzig fan as he burst into tears on the pitch.
TV cameras captured Giallatini crying after the final whistle while being consoled by Leipzig manager Marco Rose.
His outpour of emotion was due to the fact he had just completed his final game as an official at the Red Bull Arena.
The 49-year-old is an established Serie A figure, notching up almost 170 matches as an assistant, and his experience extends into Europe.
Villa’s five-goal victory against Leipzig was Giallatini’s 31st Champions League outing in addition to 11 matches in the Europa League.
The Italian is among UEFA’s most trusted officials, serving as an assistant referee four times at Euro 2024 in the summer.
He also made three appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and couldn’t contain his sensations as he left it all behind on Tuesday.
Players from both sides paid their respects, including Villa defender Pau Torres, while Rose warmly embraced Giallatini and the pair engaged in a conversation.
Several of his colleagues also joined in on the act, displaying how widely respected the veteran official has become.
Villa opened the scoring through John McGinn inside the opening three minutes before Lois Openda pegged the visitors back later in the first half.
After the interval, Jhon Duran restored the lead, but Christoph Baumgartner again levelled the score for the lowly hosts.
Barkley’s long-range strike sealed the victory, boosting Unai Emery’s side’s hopes of automatic qualification for the last 16.
Meanwhile, Leipzig became the first club eliminated from the new Champions League format, having also lost against Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Celtic and Inter Milan.
Villa will aim to cement their spot in the knockout stage when they travel to AS Monaco and host Celtic at Villa Park in the new year.
They can now focus on building on three successive victories in all competitions by improving their Premier League fortunes, with a trip to Nottingham Forest to come on Saturday.
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