Coach Roberto D’Aversa of the relegation-threatened Italian football first list US Lecce has blown the fuses after the 0-1 home defeat on Sunday against Hellas Verona. The 48-year-old headbutted Hellas attacker Thomas Henry in the crowd on the pitch after the final whistle, and Henry fell to the ground.
“It wasn’t a nice move, I admit it. It’s inexcusable and I apologized to Verona,” D’Aversa later told Sky Italia. He wanted to save his players from being sent off in the heat of the moment – but he himself saw the red card from the referee, as did Henry.
In a statement, Lecce strongly condemned his coach’s actions, which “go against our principles and the values of sport.”
D’Aversa later also apologized to the Verona striker, Henry replied: “Nothing justifies and will ever justify getting a headbutt when you’re on your way to the dressing room and happy to have won the three points . Getting a red card because I reacted verbally and only verbally to a headbutt makes it very bitter.”
Verona moved past Lecce with the win, and both clubs are still just shy of the relegation zone.