Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Four Games??!! Have UEFA lost their minds??!!

Yes you read the number correctly, four, Gennaro Gattuso escaped with this meagre ban following his controversial performance, if you can call it that, in A C Milan's last 16 clash with Tottenham in the Champions League last Tuesday night.
Now I don't know how all of you see this punishment, but I am utterly disgusted by it. If you take into consideration Chelsea's Didier Drogba was handed a SIX game ban with two suspended, reduced to one suspended after Chelsea appealed, for swearing into a television camera "it's a fucking disgrace" after he thought many decisions had gone against his team in the semi-final against Barcelona in June 2009, this ban handed out to the Italian nicknamed 'Rino' is nothing short of a disgrace.
'Rino' is banned for a total of five games due to the fact he also picked up a yellow card in the game, thus totalling five games but four were for the attacks on Spurs' assistant coach Joe Jordan.
Having played some football in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers a few years ago, the two were able to exchange abuse in the native Scottish throughout the game as flash points arose when Spurs were the dominant side and the A C Milan captain was growing increasingly frustrated with his team and himself and their level of performance on the night.
During the second half the pantomime started as Gattuso strongly challenge a Tottenham player right in front of the Spurs bench, a tackle which enraged the London club's backroom staff and Rednapp and Jordan duly rose to their feet to show their anger at the tackle.
Scene one was to follow as 'Rino' approached the sideline, shared some, I'm assuming nothing but lovely language with Spurs boss Harry Rednapp, before his attentions turned to his assistant Jordan.
Words were clearly exchanged and the blood clearly had started to boil within Gattuso's mind and he proceeded to grasp the 59 year old by the THROAT and pushed the Scot away using some force. The certain red card for this incident alone didn't materialise, and amazingly not even a booking! The referee surely was losing the plot??!!
Allowed to continue beyond this saw Gattuso trying to rile Tottenham players, mainly the lanky front man Peter Crouch, by making late tackle's and challenges off the ball, of which Crouch was having none of as he fronted up to the, by this time, crazed Gattuso, and as Crouch looked down on the little Italian from his 6' 7 inches, he probably couldn't see the blood bursting out of his eyes!!!
A horror tackle by Mathieu Flamini on Corluka followed and the blood pressure rose in the entire stadium as the Italian giants tried to battle back against a Spurs side that was dominating.
Tottenham scored with minutes left as Milan launched attack after attack without really threatening and then at the final whistle the pantomime continued.
Gattuso shook hands with the Spurs players, and made his way over to the benches.....
In turn he then shook the hand of Rednapp and headed for Jordan once again. Rednapp was quoted as "I thought Gattuso was coming over to apologise to Joe" as thus amending the wrong doing for the shove earlier in the contest, this was as far from the truth as it could have been.
Words were beginning to be exchanged and the tempers were fraying by the nano second as 'Rino' confronted Jordan, I imagine to discuss the earlier incident, and not happy with Jordan's comments he continued, between two officials, to headbutt the Spurs' assistant coach in the face. Then quickly people forced their way in between the two and separated them before the clash escalated any further.
Gattuso had clearly not forgotten the previous incident, which had happened a good 30minutes before, something that was festering in his mind until the final whistle, and this cannot be a good sign of the mental state he was in during the game.
There's being pumped up and full of enthusiasm and there is losing control of yourself and Gennaro Gattuso was guilty of the later.....big time.
As captain, a World Cup winner, and grown man, the example set for the millions watching was not up to standard for such an experienced campaigner. My three year old shows more restraint and knowledge about how to conduct herself. So what the hell are UEFA doing only giving him a four game disciplinary for this???!! Truly....I am speechless, and can't explain it.
If this had happened in a street, Gattuso would be facing a assault charge and probably a prison sentence of some kind, so I ask you all, have UEFA lost the plot on this one???? Because I certainly think they have....

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