The coach of Lecce, Roberto D’Aversawho on Sunday gave a headbutt to the French striker of Hellas Verona Thomas Henry The duel between the two teams has been archived, the Southern Italian club announced on Monday on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Following what happened at the end of the Lecce-Verona match, the Club announces the dismissal of coach D’Aversa – read a note from Lecce -.
The episodes began at the end of the Serie A match, won 1-0 by Verona, with shoving between players and coaches of the two teams.
???????? After the events that occurred at the end of the Lecce – Verona match, US Lecce announces that they have relieved coach D’Aversa of his duties.
Thanks go to the coach and his staff for the work done. pic.twitter.com/es0V3cLV1x
— US Lecce (@OfficialUSLecce) March 11, 2024
Henry, surrounded by his teammates, was heading towards the locker room and D’Aversa went towards him to headbutt him.
The Frenchman, hit on the right cheekbone, was sent off by the referee, as was the Lecce coach.
“I went onto the pitch to prevent my players from being sent off, There were many provocations from the Verona players in the last minutes of the game and after the final whistle,” D’Aversa explained to Sky Sport.
???????? Lecce, a Serie A team, has decided to sack coach Roberto d’Aversa after headbutting Verona striker Thomas Henry yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ipAzOcbYbq
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 11, 2024
“It wasn’t a nice gesture, I admit it, there are no excuses and I explained myself to the people of Verona. But I didn’t enter the pitch to make that gesture”, he added.
On social media, D’Aversa later apologized in a message to Henry, Hellas Verona, his club’s managers and fans, and Italian football.
“I got carried away by the context and lost my sanity, but not to the point of hitting another person,” he wrote, considering he didn’t headbutt. “It was physical contact, head to head,” she said.
Henry also posted a message on social media saying he had been head-butted: “Nothing justifies and will never justify being head-butted on your way to the changing rooms. Happy to get the three points.”
D’Aversa, 48, had coached Lecce since June 2023 after being on the bench Parma (2016-20) and in Sampdoria (2021-22).
In a first statement released on Sunday, Lecce “firmly” condemned the gesture of its former coach, “contrary to our principles and the values of sport”, it added.
Source: AFP
Source: Clarin
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