Gennaro 'Rino' Gattuso walked a very fine line between 'unsporting' and 'criminal' behaviour during AC Milan's home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the opening match of the first-round UEFA Champions League knockout stages. While the tempestuous midfielder's hard-tackling ways were par for the course, Gattuso's shove and subsequent headbutt of Spurs coach Joe Jordan, a 59 year-old man were a different matter entirely. Fortunately for the Milan captain, who's certain to miss the trip to White Hart Lane in March thanks to his collection of yellow cards in the tournament, he will not be charged with assault or the more serious 'serious assault' by UEFA, who are instead going to slap him with a gross unsporting conduct charge instead, according to the BBC.
AC Milan’s Gennaro Gattuso Escapes UEFA Assault Charge
Although the punishment maximums are interchangeable for all three charges, the minimums are not, and Gattuso could theoretically walk away with a one-match minimal suspension (rather than three for assault and five for serious assault). However, a one-match ban for Gattuso after attacking an old man when Chelsea star Didier Drogba received six games for insulting the referee two years ago would be awfully lenient, and I'm unconvinced that a long ban isn't in the cards for the Rossoneri icon.
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