Bolton player sparks confrontation with challenge on Fiorentina's Moise Keane but fans claim he did nothing wrong

Bolton took on Fiorentina last night in a pre-season friendly and emerged with a creditable 1-1 draw against Serie A opposition - with fans giving a clear verdict on a Wanderers defender's tackle on Moise Kean after a flashpoint in the game.

Ian Evatt's side are busy gearing up for the new League One season and are seeking to bounce back from the disappointing loss in last season's play-off final against Oxford United.

Wanderers are seeking promotion to the Championship and will next month commence their fourth successive season in League One, after winning promotion from League Two in 2021.

Bolton are in the thick of their pre-season schedule at the moment, which followed a training camp out in Portugal.

They have taken on Championship opposition in the form of West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough, before a usual pre-season friendly against nearby non-league neighbours Chorley.

Last night at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, the Whites entertained Serie A side Fiorentina, and came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw.

Josip Brekalo put the Italian outfit ahead in the first half, but striker Victor Adeboyejo netted after the break to ensure the clash ended all square.

One moment in the 72nd minute, however, has captured the attentions of fans on social media after it prompted a confrontation between both sets of players.

Bolton defender George Johnston produced a slide tackle in which he won the ball from Kean, the former Everton star who moved to Fiorentina this summer.

Kean stayed down after the challenge's follow through, however, and waved his hand in the air to signal to the bench for attention from the physio.

The tackle prompted both sets of players to become involved in a melee on the pitch before being separated.

🚨🚨| Slide tackle by George Johnston on Moise Kean leads to a scuffle between Bolton and Fiorentina players in a preseason friendly match.
pic.twitter.com/aecp7CSJ8S

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 27, 2024

And taking to the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now X, fans were generally in broad agreement Johnston's tackle was a fair one.

One X user wrote: "Brilliant tackle but a bit OTT for pre-season."

A second posted: "Great tackle, games gone!"

A third added: "Fantastic tackle."

A fourth said: "Perfect tackle, nothing wrong with it."

A fifth commented: "Well timed. Didn’t jump in with his feet off the ground, foot connected with the ball and your man got the ball. The follow through and momentum makes it look worse than it actually is."

A sixth questioned: "Hard to tell at that speed. Looks okay. Be surprised if they hadn't had similar in the Italian league. Old school Italian defenders are know for these kind of tackles."