[azzurri]

Sinisa Mihajlovic was involved in an unsavoury incident in which he slapped a Fiorentina fan during Inter’s defeat in Florence last night.

Seated in the stands, having been excluded from the first-team squad to face the Viola by Coach Roberto Mancini, Mihajlovic was signing an autograph for a young fan at half-time when he was subjected to a torrent of abuse from a supporter.

The 36-year-old lost patience with the Viola tifoso, reported to be of middle-age, and slapped him in the face twice, before being separated from him by match stewards.

“He kept screaming ‘gipsy, dirty gipsy!’ at me,” said Mihajlovic in his defence. “So then I just said, ‘Right, that’s it’.”

This is not the first time the former Serbia and Montenegro international has been in trouble for a breach of discipline.

He was banned for eight matches and fined £30,000 after spitting at Chelsea’s Adrian Mutu and kicking out at a match official during a Champions League match for Lazio in 2003.

He was also suspended for hurling racist abuse at Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira – again in a Champions League match for Lazio – three years earlier.

Whether or not any action will be taken against the veteran Inter defender remains to be seen.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...lia/feb9i.html