Lecce sack manager after headbutt

Serie A club Lecce have taken the decision to sack their manager, Roberto D’Aversa, after he headbutted an opposition player after a game on Sunday afternoon.

The former Benevento coach approached Hellas Verona forward Thomas Henry after the game to confront him before then launching into a headbutt of Henry.

The 48-year-old, who had overseen a 1-0 defeat at home to Verona with the only goal coming from Michael Folorunsho, apologized but did blame Henry for the incident.

“I apologise for the gesture, but my intention was to separate the players, as the last seven or eight minutes was just continual provocation.”

Henry was sent off after the game, too, for two yellow cards in second-half stoppage-time, despite only coming onto the pitch in the 86th minute as a replacement for Tomas Suslov.

A rivalry between the sides was stoked last summer when Hellas Verona poached manager Marco Baroni after narrowly avoiding relegation from Serie A in the end of season playoff last year against Spezia.

D’Aversa replaced him and did begin the season well but he departs with Lecce just a point outside of the bottom three and Verona’s victory has taken them a point above the Pugliese outfit.