Serse Cosmi has revealed how Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini wanted Javier Pastore to play at the expense of Fabrizio Miccoli in the Sicilian Derby.
Palermo lost 4-0 and Cosmi was sacked immediately afterwards ostensibly for having not followed Zamparini's instructions.
Interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Cosmi said: "On Sunday morning at 10am Zamparini asked me about the starting line up.
Serse Cosmi has revealed how Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini wanted Javier Pastore to play at the expense of Fabrizio Miccoli in the Sicilian Derby.
Palermo lost 4-0 and Cosmi was sacked immediately afterwards ostensibly for having not followed Zamparini's instructions.
Interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Cosmi said: "On Sunday morning at 10am Zamparini asked me about the starting line up.
"I told him that Pastore was out and Miccoli was playing. He got angry for El Flaco's exclusion and even more for Miccoli's inclusion.
"We had a very heated argument. Pastore was out because he had been with Argentina for 12 days. He wasn't in great condition.
"I saw that he was down in training. I did it to protect him. I explained my reasons to him in my office: 'You recover and in the next game you'll start again. It's better this way'
"He seemed calm and convinced by my argument. Excluding Pastore out of spite would have been suicide. I would never have done it."