Giancarlo Favarin, coach of Italian Serie C Lucchese, has been slapped with a five-month ban after he headbutted an opposition coach during a touchline fracas over the weekend.
The 60-year-old lost his cool on the touchline deep into injury time during his side’s 2-2 draw with Alessandria and headbutted their opponent’s assistant coach Gaetano Mancino.
Having watched Lucchese edge their way back from a two-goal deficit, Favarin was sent to the stands but didn’t go quietly, getting into some verbals on the sideline with the opposing bench before deciding to seek out Mancino and put him on his back.
His ban will stretch to June 30, 2019, meaning the club will be without a manager for the rest of the season.
He’s been adjudged by league authorities to have made "blasphemous remarks" and to have "invited his own player to 'break the legs' of an opponent" during the game.
Crucially, they also say he "began a slagging match with a member of the opposing team's staff at the peak of which he hit the latter with a violent head butt, making him fall to the ground."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Favarin, wasn’t for backing down even after the event.
"The Alessandria bench offended and spat at us. I would be sorry, but I was attacked and attacked."
There might just be a bit of truth in those allegations, as Mancino was, too, handed a ban by the authorities.
He’ll be missing for two games for his "offensive and provocative behaviour towards the coach of the rival team during the match."
