West Ham United striker Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos has been accused of spitting at Millwall goalkeeper Filip Marschall during Saturday’s fiercely contested Championship clash at The Den.
The alleged incident occurred in the second half, with Marschall holding the ball in his hands as Castellanos stood in front of him. The Millwall goalkeeper appeared to delay his restart while speaking to referee Paul Tierney and pointing towards his shirt, seemingly indicating that he had been spat at.
Manager Alex Neil Speaks Out
Millwall manager Alex Neil said he had not personally witnessed the incident but believed the accusation should be investigated.
“I haven’t asked him (Marschall) about it, but it’s like anything else, I’m sure they’ll be footage of it, or not of it, if it didn’t happen. I’d be extremely surprised if Fil has made an accusation and nothing has happened. But that’s not really for me to deal with, I’m sure the authorities will deal with that.”
Neil added that fourth official Lewis Smith had confirmed an accusation of spitting had been made. West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo also acknowledged the allegation but said he needed to see footage before commenting. If proven, spitting at another player can result in a mandatory six-match suspension under FA regulations.
Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos’
Born on 3 October 1998 in Mendoza, Argentina, Castellanos began his football journey with local clubs before joining Universidad de Chile as a teenager. He later played for Montevideo City Torque and New York City FC, where he won the MLS Cup and Golden Boot in 2021.
He subsequently moved to Girona, producing one of the defining performances of his career by scoring four goals against Real Madrid in La Liga in 2023. After his spell in Spain, Castellanos joined Lazio before moving to West Ham in January 2026 on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
The Dockers Derby
The meeting between Millwall and West Ham is traditionally known as the Dockers Derby, a rivalry rooted in the industrial history of East and South-East London. The fixture developed from competition between dockworkers and shipbuilders on opposite sides of the River Thames and later became associated with intense clashes between rival supporters.
Because the clubs have spent much of their histories in different divisions, meetings have been relatively infrequent. Saturday’s 2-2 draw was their first encounter in 14 years, adding further significance to an already fierce rivalry.
Millwall led 2-0 at half-time through Caleb Taylor and Camiel Neghli before West Ham fought back through Mohamadou Kanté and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Kanté was later sent off, while tensions continued after the final whistle with an altercation in the tunnel.
The draw left West Ham second in the Championship with 15 points, two points behind leaders Swansea City, who moved top after beating Lincoln City. Millwall sit 11th with 11 points after eight matches.
West Ham have also extended their unbeaten league run to six matches, while the Castellanos allegation now leaves the club awaiting any possible investigation or disciplinary action. At present, the accusation remains unproven.
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