AC Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso has described the 3-2 loss to Inter as a ‘double defeat’ after Franck Kessie’s reaction to coming off.
The Ivorian midfielder was substituted for Andrea Conti in the second-half and was clearly unhappy with the decision, and then clashed with Lucas Biglia on the bench who took exception to the behaviour of his team-mate.
“There has to be respect for everyone in the dressing room and it was just unacceptable,” Gattuso told Sky Italia.
“I am the Coach, I have to take care of discipline in the dressing room and the players know how much I care about that.
“You can criticise my tactics, but I built my career on respect, group ethics, representing the jersey, honouring the teammates who haven’t played for months. This means the world to me and that is why it is a double defeat.
“I will have my say over the next few days.”
On the game itself: “The first half we were constantly getting pressed and unable to play out. In the second, we changed a few things. We struggled with their through runs and they’d systematically run past us with four or five players,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“I get criticised at times for being too defensive, but you have to remember the characteristics of the players at my disposal.
“I think that after going 2-0 down, any other side would’ve collapsed. Inter combine quality with physical strength, so I am happy with the performance. If we didn’t do what we wanted in the first half, the credit goes to Inter.
“We created chances, we went very close to an equaliser at the end. There were too many spaces and we made mistakes.
“The defeat that hurts me the most was Kessie and seeing what happened on the bench. That is something I cannot accept with the way I see football, the way I see the team and the group ethic.”
Lucas Paqueta came off at half-time in what was thought to be a tactical change, however Gattuso revealed that wasn’t the case.
“Paquetà felt a hardening on the thigh, I spoke with the doctor, it was right to give the possibility to a fresher player.”
