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Premier League cult hero, 40, charges onto touchline to berate EFL fourth official despite not being on coaching staff

Premier League cult hero, 40, charges onto touchline to berate EFL fourth official despite not being on coaching staff

The Sun7 days ago
PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero Valon Behrami raged at an EFL fourth official during Watford's defeat to Charlton.
The Hornets stumbled out of the blocks in the Championship as they lost their opening game to the newly promoted Addicks.
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Harvey Knibbs netted a last-gasp goal to give Nathan Jones ' side a fairytale return to the second division.
The result could have been different if the hosts had been awarded a penalty after Thomas Kaminski brought down Nestory Irankunda.
Penalty shouts from Watford fans and players were waved away by referee Stephen Martin.
The decision left the hosts fuming but no more so than former player and now assistant sporting director Behrami.
The former Swiss international could be seen berating the fourth official on the touchline.
The moment was made even more remarkable as he is not a part of the coaching staff and manager Paulo Pezzolano was not involved.
Fans were even taken aback by the moment as they reacted on social media.
One posted: "Never seen a non-coaching staff member as animated as Valon Behrami today."
A second commented: "Some things never change haha."
A third wrote: "He will be the new head coach in place by November."
EFL club launch new badge like 'lion with lollipop and first aid box'
Behrami, 40, played for Watford for two seasons between 2015 and 2017.
He made 49 appearances for the Hornets without scoring a single goal.
One match would stick out in fans' memories as he puked all over the pitch during the clash with Everton.
But it was West Ham that brought him to the English shores back in 2008.
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The Hammers signed the midfielder from Lazio for £5million and he became a key part of the team.
Behrami did have his time in the East End disrupted by injury as he suffered an ACL in 2009.
In total, he played 63 times for West Ham and scored five goals, including a winner against Sunderland in November 2008.
Between playing at Upton Park and Vicarage Road, he had spells at Fiorentina, Napoli and Hamburg.
After leaving England for the final time as a player, he had spells at Udinese, Sion, Genoa and Brescia before retiring in 2022.
He was appointed as Watford's assistant sporting director in July.
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