Serie A team Lecce has issued a firm condemnation of manager Roberto D’Aversa’s behavior after he headbutted Verona striker Thomas Henry on Sunday.
The incident occurred at the conclusion of Lecce’s 1-0 defeat to their fellow relegation contenders.
Italian coach D’Aversa, aged 48, was shown a red card following the altercation. He headbutted Henry as the French forward made his way towards the dressing room.
D’Aversa acknowledged that his actions were “inexcusable.”
In a statement Lecce said the club “strongly condemns the actions of its manager which are against our values and the those of sport”.
Tempers had flared between players and staff from both teams at the final whistle at Lecce’s Stadio Via del mare.
“I went on to the pitch to try and stop my players being sent off as Verona were provoking us a lot in the final moments of the match and after the final whistle,” D’Aversa told Sky Sports.
But on the incident, he added: “It wasn’t a nice thing to do, I know that. It’s inexcusable and I’ve been to explain my actions to Verona. I didn’t come on the pitch to do that.”
As a result of the loss, Lecce slid down to the 15th position in Serie A, trailing Verona by two places. This setback left them with a precarious one-point lead over the bottom three teams in a fiercely contested relegation struggle.