Big Sam: ‘Big fuss’ made mostly by foreign players

Nicolas Otamendi: Not happy with Jermain Defoe

Sam Allardyce insists Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe did not intentionally elbow Nicolas Otamendi and says foreign players “react in a more volatile way”.

During City’s 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, Defoe incensed both Otamendi and Martin Demichelis with his flailing arms, but Allardyce said making a fuss is “in their nature”.

“Jermain Defoe doesn’t elbow anybody on purpose,” insisted Allardyce.

“They make a big fuss about it and that’s what they do. That’s mostly foreign players, they do make a big fuss of it. That’s in their nature – I’m not saying it’s in the way they are brought up. They react in a more volatile way to incidents like that than we do.

“We accept that but I don’t think Jermain intentionally did it.”