Catania chief Pietro Lo Monaco is in hot water after his verbal jousting with Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho.

Lo Monaco has been deferred to the Disciplinary Commission for "inciting violence" towards Mourinho.

Lo Monaco said Mourinho "is a man who deserves a smack in the mouth," although the phrase is literally translated as "hit with a big stick in the teeth."

After Minister for the Interior Roberto Maroni urged the Federation to take action, Lo Monaco has been deferred to the Disciplinary Commission.

"He expressed comments damaging to the reputation of a colleague and, directly or indirectly, inciting to violence."

The Catania general manager tried to explain the situation in another Press release he placed on the official website yesterday.

"It is a typical turn of phrase round our way and certainly not to be considered incitement to violence or to be taken literally," insisted Lo Monaco.

"If someone, however, has been made to understand the sense of my expression otherwise, then I apologise.

"I hope Maroni's comment is the last we'll hear of this matter. At this point we may as well bring in the Government and Head of State, but I hope the country has more pressing matters to be dealing with.

"I would have been happier without Maroni's comment, as I am certainly not the one representing a political party that thrived on inciting violence in recent years.

"I wasn't the one who ran on a platform of shouting 'Southern Thieves' and I consider it ridiculous to see him of all people criticise us, especially as we took the decision to ban our fans from travelling to San Siro with great civility."