Fiorentina coach Delio Rossi fired for punching his own player (Video)

There are many ways for a head coach to get his or herself fired, the most popular of which seems to be losing. Having said that, there are plenty of other ways to earn your dismissal. Italian soccer coach Delio Rossi, who is the head coach of Italian Series A’s Fiorentina side, decided to think outside the box a bit during a match on Wednesday. Rossi earned his pink slip the way very few before him have — by punching one of his own players in the face.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Rossi took exception to midfielder Adem Ljajic’s sarcastic attitude during a 2-2 draw against Novara Calcio. With Fiorentina trailing 2-0 at home in the first half, Rossi had seen enough of Ljajic and decided to replace him with Ruben Olivera. As you can see from the video above, Rossi was unhappy with the way Ljajic reacted to the substitution so he went after him.

Rossi reportedly attacked Ljajic with a “burst of hammer-fist” punches before the situation was defused. He was promptly fired following the match, despite the fact that club owner Andrea Della Valle says Rossi was ready to apologize after it happened. Fiorentina’s fans reportedly cheered and shouted “You’re a gypsy!” at Ljajic during the incident.

So yeah, that’s how they get down across the pond.

H/T Off the Bench