OFFICIAL: Manager sacked after headbutting player!

A manager has now officially been sacked by his club after headbutting an opposition player on Sunday.

Roberto D'Aversa has been relieved of his duties as manager of Serie A side Lecce after headbutting Verona striker Thomas Henry after the final whistle of his side's 1-0 loss in the league encounter on Sunday. 

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"After the events that occurred at the end of the Lecce-Verona match, US Lecce announces that it has relieved coach Roberto D'Aversa of his duties," the club said in a statement. 

"Thanks go to the coach and his staff for the work done." 

The incident took place after the referee called an end to the game, with both the player and the 48-year-old manager receiving red cards as a result. 

Here is the shocking moment in question:  

The Italian manager took to social media to publicly apologise for his actions, but also denied hitting the player with his head. 

"I wish to apologise to everyone and at the same time briefly reconstruct the sad and unpleasant episode that saw me as the protagonist in the negative at the end of the Lecce-Verona match," he wrote on Instagram.

"I came in contact with Henry face to face, but I didn't hit the Verona footballer with a header, nor did I receive it from him.

"I was wrong and I apologise. I got dragged by the fire and lost my clarity, but not to the point of hitting someone else. This does not belong to me, I reject it and do not accept it.

"Once again I apologise to Henry, to the Lecce, Verona and Italian audience, to the referees, to the two clubs, to my management, my staff and my team."

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The defeat means Lecce drop to 15th on the Serie A table with 25 points, just one point away from the relegation zone, with the side having also lost four of their past five league games.