• Champions League

Redknapp rejects Gattuso agent's claims

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has rejected claims from Gennaro Gattuso's agent he was called a "f*****g Italian b*****d" by Spurs assistant Joe Jordan.

Gattuso has come under fire for his conduct during AC Milan's 1-0 defeat at home to Spurs, having clashed with Jordan, a former Milan player, on two occasions.

First he grabbed Jordan by the throat after Steven Pienaar's tackle prompted a confrontation, then he headbutted him at full-time - an incident for which he has subsequently apologised. In between those two flashpoints, the 33-year-old was lucky to stay on the pitch after pushing Peter Crouch in the chest.

Gattuso's agent has publicly accused Jordan of provoking his client with the verbal abuse but Redknapp, who would have been in earshot of whatever Jordan was shouting at Gattuso, denied the former Milan striker would have brought Gattuso's nationality into their arguments.

"This is a case of someone playing the race card, trying to deflect from what happened," Redknapp said in the Sun. "Joe is not, and never has been, a racist. There is no chance of Joe saying that. He has the utmost respect for Italy and their people. Italians are among his close friends, he speaks the language and is a great admirer of their way of life.

"Joe never said anything. Why anyone would come out with this, after Gattuso has apologised and called his own behaviour inexcusable, is beyond me."

UEFA has begun disciplinary action against Gattuso, who is already banned from the second leg of the last-16 tie after picking up a booking at the San Siro.

Agent Claudio Pasqualin had claimed that Gattuso was riled by Jordan's outburst. "What seems evident to me is that my client was strongly provoked by Joe Jordan," Pasqualin told Napoli's Radio Kiss Kiss. "Jordan, after having continuously heckled him, insulted him with truly low phrase, saying 'F*****g Italian bastard'. For one like Rino, who has a strong sense of his Italian identity, I think this is the most disgusting and unjustifiable of insults."

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