Enlarge image

Roberto D'Aversa was US Lecce's coach for ten months

Photo: Federico Proietti / EPA

The coach of Italian first division club US Lecce, Roberto D'Aversa, has been fired after headbutting an opposing player.

The Serie A club announced in a brief statement on Monday that the 48-year-old had been “relieved of his duties” with immediate effect.

In addition, D'Aversa now faces a longer ban from the sports justice system because of the scandal.

The 48-year-old pushed his skull into the face of French center forward Thomas Henry on Sunday after a 1-0 home defeat against Hellas Verona.

Previously, Henry got into a discussion with Lecce defender Marin Pongračić after the final whistle.

D'Aversa then stormed onto the field.

D'Aversa and Herny received red cards from the referee.

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 happy to have won the three points ." Getting a red card because he reacted "verbally and only verbally" to a headbutt made it very bitter, he continued.

Both Lecce and Verona are currently just above the relegation zone in the Italian first league.

The fifteenth place in the table had already criticized his coach harshly immediately after the incident.

US Lecce's statement said: "The club strongly condemns this gesture, which contradicts the values ​​of sport."

D'Aversa writes of "head-to-head contact"

D'Aversa apologized on Italian television.

The Lecce coach spoke of a “bad example, born of great tension and adrenaline”.

“I didn't want to attack Henry, I wanted to calm the argument.

The last minutes of the game were a constant provocation," he said by way of explanation.

He then wrote on his Instagram account that there had been “head-to-head contact,” but no push.

The 48-year-old took over the club in June.

After a good start to the season with five unbeaten games in a row, Lecce slipped into the relegation zone.

Before the stop in Lecce, D'Aversa had already worked as a coach in Parma and Sampdoria.

ast/dpa/ap/sid