Gennaro Gattuso could face a sizable
ban for his headbutt on Tottenham
Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan
after UEFA said on Wednesday it
was opening a disciplinary case
against the AC Milan captain.
Gattuso grabbed Jordan by the
throat and pushed him on the
touchline during the Champions
League last 16 first leg game at the
San Siro, which Tottenham won
1-0, and headbutted him after the
final whistle before being pulled
away by team mates.
The 33-year-old former Italy
midfielder later apologised for what
he called "inexcusable" behaviour
while Tottenham manager Harry
Redknapp called the Italian firebrand
"crazy".
"I know I shouldn't have done it,"
Gattuso told reporters. "For the
whole of the second half I was
sworn at by Jordan. I just got crazy,
I lost my mind and I take
responsibility."
Gattuso, nicknamed "Rino", played
for Scottish Premier League side
Rangers in the 1997/98 season
while Jordan, 59, is a former
Scotland striker with a reputation as
a hard man who also played for
Leeds United, Manchester United
and Milan.
"He talked Scottish, I talked Scottish,
he's Scottish and I played in
Scotland so that's it," Gattuso said.
"I will never tell you what we said to
each other but it was my fault."
Flare up
"I don't know why it all got so silly,"
said Redknapp. "Gattuso had a flare
up with Joe Jordan. He obviously
hadn't done his homework. He put
his head into Joe's face as well. It
was crazy. He lost his head during
the game."
Gattuso has already been
suspended for the return in London
on March 9 after being booked
during Tuesday's match for a foul
on Steven Pienaar after which he
banged his fist on the ground
repeatedly in anger knowing he
would miss the second leg.
UEFA said in a statement its Control
and Disciplinary Body would meet
on Monday, February 21 to discuss
the case following "incidents" in the
game, which flared up on several
occasions.
The European governing body has
in the past dealt harshly with players
who have failed to control their
temper.
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was
banned for six UEFA matches, two
of them deferred, for his improper
behaviour in their Champions
League semi-final against Barcelona
in 2009.
The Ivorian Drogba harangued the
referee after the final whistle,
screaming insults and then launched
a foul-mouthed tirade towards a live
television camera.

That was a very very poor judgement on Gattusos part . . .  i guess we wait to see what they are going to do with him