Italian football manager slapped with five-month ban for violent headbutt on rival team’s coach in Serie C

An Italian football manager has been banned for five months for violently headbutting a member of the opposing team’s staff.

Giancarlo Favarin also told one of his players to break an opponent’s leg.

Shocking footage of the incident shows the boss of Serie C side Lucchese launch the vicious attack on Gaetano Mancino, assistant coach of Alessandria, during a brawl in their 2-2 draw on Sunday.

A video of the incident was posted on social media showing Mancino fall to the ground clutching his face after the incident.

The Lucchese boss defended his actions claiming he was spat at, saying: “The Alessandria bench offended and spat at us.

“I would be sorry, but I was attacked and attacked.”

Favarin made ‘blasphemous remarks’ during the game and ‘invited his own player to break the legs of an opponent’, according to a statement made by the Serie C disciplinary tribunal.

Mancino, meanwhile, was given a two-match ban for ‘offensive and provocative behaviour towards the coach of the rival team during the match’.