Davide Ballardini is a mercurial character.
@CB_Ignoranza non vorrei mai che vi foste persi "l'esultanza" di Ballardini in #SampPalermo pic.twitter.com/4FurCaqmdk
— Andrew Bock (@AndrewBocc) January 6, 2016
The Palermo boss watched his team win on Sunday, 1-0 away to Verona.
Great.
He didn’t chat to them afterwards though.
Nor did he before.
Or during.
Yes, the manager isn’t speaking to his team. He’s fallen out with them.
Davide Ballardini and club captain Stefano Sorrentino apparently had serious words in the build-up to the game with the goalkeeper seemingly not happy at what the manager had to say about the team.
And they’ve not spoken since. None of them.
https://twitter.com/GazzettaWorld/status/686095444615806977
“He isn’t speaking to us,” Football Italia ran with Sorrentino’s quotes on Sky Sports Italia.
“I am the captain of this team, I am the oldest and most experienced player. Some of my teammates are young enough to be my children.
“The last two days were chaotic. I will not allow anyone to insult or doubt the professionalism and moral integrity of this team. If they do, then they have to deal with me,” the goalkeeper stated.
So who’s in charge?
It doesn’t seem to matter because the manager isn’t speaking to them anymore.
“Ballardini did not speak to the team before the game, at half-time or after the match,” Sorrentino said.
“Did Ballardini doubt [the team’s] moral integrity? You said it, not me. I reacted the way I did yesterday because that’s what I am like, I am face to face. I prefer to be called rubbish than to have my professionalism doubted. If that happens, I become vicious.
“I’d never been in a situation like this before. What we saw today is that the team played basically by itself, without a coach, showing heart and unity to win a six-pointer.”
