Lecce coach D'Aversa headbutts Verona striker Henry

Lecce coach Roberto D'Aversa headbutted Verona striker Thomas Henry at the end of his team's 1-0 home defeat in Serie A on Sunday.

D'Aversa attacked Henry at the end of a stormy game between two teams fighting relegation, with a shoving match breaking out between players and staff at the final whistle.

The 48-year-old headbutted Henry as the French attacker was heading towards the dressing rooms in Lecce, before the pair were both sent off.

"I went onto the pitch to try and stop my players being sent off as Verona were provoking us a lot in the final moments of the match and after the final whistle," D'Aversa told Sky Sport.

"It wasn't a nice thing to do, I know that. It's inexcusable and I've been to explain my actions to Verona. I didn't come on the pitch to do that."

Lecce said in a statement that the club "strongly condemns the actions of its manager which are against our values and the those of sport".

Lecce are 15th in Serie A, just one point above the relegation zone, after Sunday's defeat in southern Italy while Verona leap up to 13th with their second straight win.