THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MILAN, Italy — AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso apologized for headbutting Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan at the end of their Champions League match on Tuesday.
Gattuso, who captained the side, is likely to face a lengthy ban from UEFA after he rushed over to the Spurs bench at the final whistle and headbutted Jordan — a former Milan player — prompting a scuffle involving several players and members of the clubs’ staff.
Gattuso, who used to play for Glasgow Rangers, had to be held back by other players.
"I take full responsibility," Gattuso told ANSA news agency. "I was wound up after exchanging words with Jordan. We were both speaking Scottish, something that I learned when I played in his home city of Glasgow, but I can’t tell you what we said.
"He was winding me up throughout the game, but I was wrong to do what I did to someone older than me. I will have to await what they decide."
Earlier in the game, Gattuso was involved in another altercation with Jordan and also received a booking that rules him out of the return leg at White Hart Lane.
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was bemused as to why Gattuso targeted his assistant, but said he was more angry with Mathieu Flamini’s rash tackle that resulted in fullback Vedran Corluka being carried off on a stretcher and took the shine of Tottenham’s 1-0 win.
"I don’t know why it got so silly," Redknapp said. "Gennaro Gattuso had a flare up with Joe Jordan, but I don’t know why. He obviously hadn’t done his homework and could have picked a fight with someone other than Joe.
"He seemed to put his head into Joe’s face. It’s crazy. He lost he head and he seemed to have got uptight a bit late in the game, but the tackle for me was the worst part.
"I’d like them (UEFA) to look at that tackle, it was a leg breaking tackle, it was two footed, off the floor and the ref should have sent him off."