Ancelotti to issue statement to DFB over rude gesture
February 20, 2017
A short statement posted on Bayern Munich's website and disseminated via the club's Twitter accounts on Monday confirmed that the German football association (DFB) had asked Carlo Ancelotti for comment on Saturday's incident, which could lead to punitive action against him.
"The supervisory committee of the Deutscher Fußball Bund (DFB) has on Monday called upon Carlo Ancelotti to submit a statement on the events that transpired after FC Bayern's match at Hertha Berlin on Saturday. The FC Bayern head coach will of course comply with this request," the statement said.
Following Saturday's match, Ancelotti admitted to German public broadcaster ARD that he had gestured to Hertha fans with his middle finger following the 1-1 draw.
"I made this gesture. I was spat at beforehand," he said.
Things became heated after Robert Lewandowski scored the equalizer for Bayern almost six minutes into injury time, something that Hertha coach Pal Dardai described as "the Bayern bonus."
The 57-year-old Ancelotti could face a fine over the gesture. In 2014, Norbert Duewel, who was then coach of second division side Union Berlin received a fine of 3,500 euros ($3,718) for showing his middle finger following a 4-1 defeat to 1860 Munich.
Solidarity from peers
Several of Ancelotti's peers have expressed support for the usually calm and collected Italian coach.
"I can absolutely understand Ancelotti," Borussia Mönchengladbach coach Dieter Hecking said. "It is disrespectful to be spat upon."
"I don't know how I would react in that situation," RB Leipzig's Ralf Hasenhüttl said.