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Sacked Fiorentina coach Rossi: Over-privileged Ljajic has never apologised to me

Sacked Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi has continued his tirade against Adem Ljajic.

Rossi was axed after he physically attacked Ljajic in an astounding dugout brawl, earning him a three-month ban.

"Is my career over? I am considering it and asking myself a thousand questions," he told Il Giornale newspaper.

"I feel like I am a Coach who is only being borrowed by professional football. Nowadays tactics are the least of my problems. You need to spend most of your time keeping the squad under control and dealing with a generation who don't have a great sense of being professional.

"They are 20 years old and turn up to training sessions with luxury cars, then you can only talk to them through their agents, while sometimes you find them eating chocolate during the half-time break. It's not just Ljajic, but a generation of over-privileged boys."

Rossi had initially refused to reveal details of what sparked their brawl, but is now open to explaining the whole situation at Fiorentina.

"Ljajic has never apologised to me for what he said. In fact, after the Novara game I went into the locker room to tell off my squad for being an arrogant bunch who risked throwing away the match.

"Then I went over to Ljajic and told him he must never again dare to speak to me that way and behave the way he did. He was anything but contrite. In fact, he tried to attack me.

"What did he say when substituted? He showed a lack of respect to me and my family. It wasn't just a one-off curse either, he reiterated the insults.

"Do you know how many Serbian players I've worked with between Lecce, Palermo and Lazio? I often had to dialogue with them in their language to make myself understood."

Rossi has apologised for his actions, but also slammed those who rushed to condemn him outright.

"Have I ruined the image of Italian football? What about those who sold games for betting syndicates? The footage from Wednesday has gone round the world and now I am a monster, so everyone wants to build the usual show around me. This is football now, but it is not my football.

"I was particularly disheartened by those who said if I had reacted the way I did inside the locker room rather than on the touchline, then it would've been better. Is it not the same gesture? In fact, some reactions are understandable in the heat of the moment, whereas afterwards they would be pre-meditated and therefore worse.

"I trained a team of factory workers, builders and farmers near Foggia. Four days a week, three times a day, without heating so we had to use the hairdryer to keep warm in the locker room. I'd like to talk to Ljajic and his colleagues about that."

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