Lecce coach Roberto D’Aversa insists his headbutt on Verona striker Thomas Henry ‘was not premeditated’ and blames the striker for ‘continual provocation.’
There was tension in this relegation tussle at the Stadio Via del Mare, with Verona leading 1-0 through a deflected Michael Folorunsho strike from outside the box.
Henry seemed irritable and argumentative from the moment he came off the bench, booked for going head-to-head with Marin Pongracic and engaging in rows with other opponents too.
At the final whistle, D’Aversa marched onto the pitch and was caught on camera trying to headbutt Henry, sparking a furious response from the forward, while the referee eventually sent both men off.
“There was already provocation in the final minutes of the match and I didn’t want my lads to get suspended,” D’Aversa told Sky Sport Italia.
“It was not a good gesture, but my intention was to divide them, as the provocation continued even after the match had ended.”
The Lecce coach at first refused to apologise and continued to blame Henry, reacting when told this was ‘unacceptable’ behaviour for a Serie A tactician.
“That is your vision. I did not go onto the pitch to headbutt anyone, I went to salute (Verona coach Marco) Baroni and wanted to avoid my players getting suspended. Then Henry came towards me, but my intention was not to go to Henry.
“Gendrey was there, Pongracic too. I repeat, it was an ugly thing to see, but it absolutely was not premeditated. 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 seemed to be shouting something at D’Aversa when dragged away afterwards by members of the Verona staff.
“I will just say that what happened was a consequence of continual provocation towards the end of the game. I already spoke to the Verona directors. I apologise for the gesture, being a coach and a father of three, it is all I can do.”
The 1-0 defeat is extremely damaging to Lecce, because it allows Verona to leapfrog them in the Serie A table.
It is now wide open in the fight to avoid relegation, with only Salernitana looking doomed at rock bottom.
Above them, there are seven teams in a three-point radius with two relegation spots still to be filled.
D’aversa a capocciate con Henry.
Ehhhhhhhh ma…… pic.twitter.com/sSH2h70FPX— CosaSeiPerMe (@joseseiperme) March 10, 2024