Inter Milan boss defends Samuel Eto'o's headbutt
Inter Milan manager Rafael Benitez has defended Samuel Eto'o after the Cameroonian striker headbutted Chievo defender Bostjan Cesar as the sides met in Serie A on Sunday 21 November.
Former Barcelona star Eto'o delivered the blow after 38 minutes when he spiked his head into the chest of Cesar, reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
The match officials did not witness the incident and Eto'o was allowed to stay on the pitch, but he could face heavy sanctions by the Italian Football Federation.
However, former Liverpool boss Benitez claims that the forward was provoked into making a reaction after Slovenian Cesar punched Eto'o.
Benitez told his club's official website that: "You can see Eto'o received a punch and had a reaction to being provoked, in a difficult situation. There are four referees on the pitch and if they didn't think to do anything, it means there was nothing to
do."
Meanwhile, Inter fell to a 2-1 defeat in the game, their second successive loss in the competition, and the defending champions are now nine points behind leaders AC Milan.
Benitez spoke with the club's directors after the game, but the Spaniard insists that this is normal and his position was not under threat.
He added that: "We talk after every game. It's obvious that a team like ours should be winning these sorts of games, but the boys displayed character. I am a professional coach and have been in these types of situation: the only way to change in these cases,
though, is to continue working and today I saw the will to win in our players. What we are living is a difficult situation, of a team which has won a lot, but also where a lot of players are missing, reason for which we are forced to field so many young players."
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