ROME – Tension rose in Serie A after the Lecce coach, Roberto D’Aversa, headbutted Verona’s striker Thomas Henry on the pitch. Both D'Aversa and Henry received red cards for the incident. 

 Verona won the game 0-1 thanks to a goal from Folorunsho in the first half of the match. This defeat comes as Lecce fall down the table after a strong start to the season, currently in 15^th place in the standings, only one point above the relegation zone.

 The Apulian team issued a statement after the match condemning D’Aversa’s actions, saying they “firmly condemn” the gesture “as it is contrary to the principles and values of sport.” D'Aversa was sacked on Monday morning for his behaviour in the incident. 

 Elsewhere in the league, Fiorentina held Roma to a 2-2 draw. Juventus and Atalanta also drew 2-2.

 Inter Milan beat Bologna 0-1 and AC Milan also won 1-0 against Empoli.

 These results saw Inter Milan extend their lead at the top of the table by 16 points as AC Milan rose to second place, one point ahead of Juventus. Bologna remained in fourth place, and Roma stayed in fifth.

 khg