Fights, insults and raised hands. The one between Conceicao and Calabria is only the latest clash between a coach and one of his players. Like that time when even someone as unsuspected as Zanetti was involved
The anger in my body, the adrenaline pumping, the poisoned thoughts. “I’ll break you.” The important thing is to have clear ideas. Sergio Conceicao addressed to Calabria, please avoid unnecessary bloodshed and threats. Coaches going to battle with their players. Technically it’s called friendly fire. It’s just that every now and then the fuse lights up. We didn’t get to the cult scene of Delio Rossi slapping Adem Ljajic, but – this is the feeling – it was very close. The problem is that the fuse turns on without warning. For information, ask Javier Zanetti, who certainly doesn’t have a reputation as a brawler. 1997 UEFA Cup final, Inter goes to penalties against Schalke 04. Before getting there, Roy replaces Javier Zanetti with Nicolino Berti. Zanetti reacts badly, he doesn’t even look like Zanetti, the two get offended, tug at each other, come to blows. It ends up that Inter loses the cup, boos and fiascos for everyone. The next day Hodgson resigned. And anyway: only two months ago, in November, the Triestina coach Clotet entered the pitch to grab Krollis, his striker, by the neck, guilty of having left the team numerically inferior. High tension is a feature of certain fiery endgames. And so: in the days when he was coaching Sampdoria, Sinisa Mihajlovic entered the pitch at the final whistle and faced full-back Regini head-on, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him. He was scolding him for a slight: he had caused a free kick in the last minute of the derby against Genoa.