Catania coach Silvio Baldini insists he was provoked into aiming a kick at Parma counterpart Mimmo Di Carlo during Sunday's fiery 2-2 draw.

"I don't want to talk about what happened and the President has told me not to," he began. "But you don't kick someone in the backside for no reason do you?

"At least I don't behave like that. I was certainly provoked or I would never have acted in such a way, naturally I am sorry."

While the motives for Baldini's explosion are still vague, it is believed that comments regarding his dismissal from the Parma bench in 2004-05 may have fanned the flames.

"Here at Parma they know me well as I coached this side - I lost games and was sacked, that's no problem. If I reacted like that it is because I don't take kindly to being called names," Baldini explained.

"I'm tired of these fake moralists who look in the mirror and decide that they behave perfectly.

"At Catania they know who Silvio Baldini is. They knew before they appointed me as Coach. I won't allow anyone to insult me."