Opponent struck down

“Inexcusable”: Coach strikes down player

Thomas Henry (center; number 9) received a headbutt.(Bild: AP, twitter.com/footitalia1)

Italian first division club Lecce have parted company with their coach Roberto D'Aversa following a headbutt against an opposing player. The current 15th-placed Serie A side announced in a terse statement on Monday that the 48-year-old had been "relieved of his duties" with immediate effect. In addition, D'Aversa is now facing a lengthy ban from the sporting judiciary due to the scandal.

Things are not going well at US Lecce! The club is in a relegation battle after the defeat against Hellas Verona. And now coach Roberto D'Aversa has also made negative headlines. After the 0:1 against Hellas Verona, he headbutted Thomas Henry after an initial exchange of words - watch the video here:

"It wasn't a nice action, I admit it. It's inexcusable and I've apologized to Verona," D'Aversa told Sky Italia a short time later. The Lecce coach was quite rightly shown the red card - as was Henry.

Thomas Henry (center; number 9) received a headbutt.(Bild: AP, twitter.com/footitalia1)

Henry beside himself
"Nothing justifies and will ever justify getting a headbutt when you're on your way to the dressing room and you're happy to have won the three points," Henry said angrily. "To get a red card because I reacted verbally and only verbally to a headbutt makes it very bitter."

Apology doesn't help
Even an apology couldn't save D'Aversa's job: The Lecce coach speaks of a "bad example, born of great tension and adrenaline". He also wrote on his Instagram account that there had been "head-to-head contact", but no push.