Pep Clotet, former Birmingham City manager, has sparked outrage in Italy following a furious altercation with a player from his own squad who had just got a red card.
Clotet, now in command of Triestina, did not hold back as he watched Raimonds Krollis walk off the pitch after being dismissed. Clotet, who took over with Triestina now wallowing at the bottom of Serie C after only winning once in their first 14 games, was further disappointed by a 1-0 loss at home to Giana Erminio on Friday night.
Krollis received a direct red card for losing his temper with an opposition player. Clotet approached Krollis right before he entered the tube, seizing his collar and violently shaking him. Clotet later defended his behavior. “My reaction was appropriate given the circumstances. “Krollis’ behavior is simply unacceptable,” Clotet said. “Such actions affect Triestina, the club he represents, and football in general.
We were taken off surprise by Giana Erminio’s tactical approach, but we were able to regain control of the game until the sending off. “They eventually changed their strategy, but despite being down one guy, we fought till the end. We should build a more disciplined mindset.
Understanding how to manage vital times in matches is critical, and it is the duty of each participant. “We appear to lack situational awareness at times and take unwarranted risks, but the effort was remarkable. We defended effectively, despite giving up a preventable goal on a wayward pass that we could have controlled better.”
Clotet previously joined Blues as Garry Monk’s assistant, following a tenure at Oxford United in March 2018. He took over as manager when Monk departed in the summer of 2019, before parting ways with the club towards the end of Project Restart in the summer of 2020.
