The http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Blaise-Matuidi-c7681 during last Sunday’s Clasico against Paris Saint-Germain
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 teammate, Blaise Matuidi during Olympique de Marseille’s Clasico
against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Velodrome.
Amalfitano’s actions were initially ignored but after reviewing the footage, the LFP might slap the midfielder with a hefty fine. And, PSG goalkeeper, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Salvatore-Sirigu-c32282 has not minced his words even though Matuidi has not made a real issue out of it.
“Amalfitano aimed a blow at Matuidi. And then he acted as if it was he who had received one. But this is normal when you’re an idiot, you do idiotic things,” said the Italian international whose words have indeed fuelled controversy.
And, one cannot deny the images. First Amalfitano elbowed Matuidi and then slapped him. Naturally, Matuidi reacted but never found his target even though Amalfitano acted as if he was hit as well.
As in the case of Montpellier’s Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa who elbowed Romain Hamouma (AS Saint-Etienne), the former Lorient man is also under the risk of missing a good chunk of the first half of the 2012/2013 campaign due to a moment of madness.
However, despite the video being so obvious, Le Provence, a newspaper that is more or less pro-Marseille, has not hesitated to speak of the Amalfitano incident as “media conspiracy” against the player before going to the player’s former coaches to further
validate its claim.
First it was Lorient coach, Christian Gourcuff who defended Amalfitano by saying that the midfielder would never act so rashly without reason.
“He has character, he certainly can gain a lot if he is ration, but I do not mind that.”
Ex-Sedan coach, Jose Pasqualetti, who managed Amalfitano in his early playing days, has also refused to call his former protégé as a thug.
“We cannot change him. He has personality. He is a winner. If someone slaps someone as a gesture of humour, would you call him a thug? Look at the number of games he has played and the number of times he was kicked (by an opponent),” said Pasqualetti.
However, despite so many people backing up the player, it is hard to see Amalfitano escape from a ban due to his moment of madness.
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