MASON GREENWOOD allegedly SPAT at Amadou Onana to spark his furious brawl with Tyrone Mings.
Marseille forward Greenwood had his shirt shredded by Aston Villa defender Mings during a bust-up in a pre-season clash in France on Saturday night.
And SunSport understands disgusted Villa players were raging because Greenwood is claimed to have spat at their £50million club-record signing Onana.
Belgium star Onana recoiled, suddenly holding his own face as he turned towards French referee Benoit Millot after Greenwood appeared to spit at him.
The 87th-minute flashpoint started when Greenwood hacked Onana to the ground, goaded and then shoved the Villa midfielder, who bounced up off the turf to confront him.
England international Mings stepped in just as a grinning Greenwood, 23, seemed to commit the vile act.
Greenwood’s expression quickly changed as 6ft 5in Mings grabbed his collar and swung him around, with Onana also grappling as the former Manchester United player’s shirt was ripped in a melee.
Greenwood was booked, along with Mings and Onana, then immediately substituted by Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi.
It is unlikely that Greenwood will face action unless the incident was included in ref Millot’s report to the French FA.
Uefa will not get involved because they have no jurisdiction over the ‘friendly’.
Villa do not plan to push for any further action to be taken.
Unai Emery also squared up to De Zerbi during the powderkeg pre-season clash.
Villa boss Emery saw red when Marseille old boy Boubacar Kamara was scythed down by Neal Maupay in injury time.
De Zerbi, in charge of Brighton from 2022 to 2024, said: “Unai complained about my players and I didn’t like that. It’s up to me to talk to them.
“The match was heated but that’s what people came to see. They could have gone to the beach but they came to the Stade Velodrome.”
Marseille won 3-1 as former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted twice after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Greenwood scored the opening goal and laid on another for Aubameyang, with Villa skipper John McGinn having levelled to make it 1-1 at half-time.
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