Unai Emery and Gary O’Neil altercation: Aston Villa and Wolves bosses disagree over final whistle ‘incident’

Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers managers Unai Emery and Gary O’Neil have responded to an apparent disagreement after Sunday afternoon’s West Midlands derby.

The pair failed to shake hands on the touchline at the finale of a chaotic 1-1 draw at Molineux Stadium. The incident has since sparked a debate as to who was in the wrong.

Emery and O’Neil shared similar stories in the post-match press conference but were in disagreement over one key factor that led to a fierce exchange of words near the tunnel.

What happened, then? Well, “nothing,” claims Emery. “I was waiting to tell him congratulations and shake his hand. He was speaking to the assistant referee and I left. Simple,” the Villa head coach said.

But O’Neil doesn’t think it was that straightforward. “I was moaning at the fourth official and Unai Emery didn’t want to wait for the handshake.

“So I said no problem, go down the tunnel,” O’Neil said with a hint of sarcasm. “My conversation with the fourth official lasted about eight seconds,” he added.

The altercation seemed to be sparked by O’Neil could shouting furiously at the officials upon the final whistle and Emery then failing to be patient enough for a handshake.

O’Neil aggrieved at the extra time Villa were handed to search for an equaliser as play went 90 seconds beyond the allotted 12 minutes of added time.

Both managers went on to say they had respect for one another but the tension certainly filled the press room when the subject was discussed.

Villa and Wolves next go to battle in the reverse Premier League fixture at Villa Park on March 30, 2024. In the meantime, there’s an international break for both teams to catch their breath.