{"id":1087849,"date":"2019-05-07T16:44:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T15:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1087849"},"modified":"2019-05-07T16:45:19","modified_gmt":"2019-05-07T15:45:19","slug":"tiemoue-bakayoko-gennaro-gattuso-spat","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/tiemoue-bakayoko-gennaro-gattuso-spat\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakayoko denies refusing to come on for Milan following Gattuso spat"},"content":{"rendered":"

AC Milan midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has defended himself after being accused of refusing to come on as a substitute against Bologna on Monday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bakayoko, who is on a season-long loan at the San Siro from Chelsea, appeared to tell Gennaro Gattuso to “f*** off” after the Milan manager instructed him to sit back down on the bench following a short warm-up.<\/p>\n

What did Bakayoko and Gattuso row about? Five key things to know…<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Midway through the first half of Milan’s meeting with Bologna, Lucas Biglia picked up an injury and Bakayoko was asked to warm up.<\/li>\n
  2. The midfielder’s warm-up was half-hearted and Gattuso told him to sit back on the bench, choosing Jose Mauri to replace Biglia instead.<\/li>\n
  3. Gattuso appeared to reprimand Bakayoko for failing to warm up in an appropriate manner and words were exchanged.<\/li>\n
  4. Bakayoko is alleged to have told Gattuso to “f*** off”, to which the Milan boss reacted with more displeased words.<\/li>\n
  5. The 24-year-old had started in each of Milan’s last seven league matches prior to the Bologna game.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7246453-like-a-broken-mirror-man-utd-s-top-knot-curse-lingers-on<\/p>\n

    Bakayoko has impressed for Milan this term but the former Monaco midfielder has already faced controversy following a questionable celebration against Lazio last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    After Monday’s spat with Gattuso, Bakayoko released a full statement on Instagram in which he suggested Gattuso was at fault.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t agree with being considered as a player who refuses to enter the field when his coach asks him to and who doesn\u2019t respect his club and teammates,” Bakayoko wrote, as translated by Football Italia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI was asked to get ready in case there was a change, so I prepared myself immediately and went to warm up for a maximum of 2-3 minutes, then I was asked to sit back on the bench.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI think it was between 23 and 26 minutes, and it was when I was sitting on the bench that the coach spoke to me unexpectedly and I did nothing but repeat his words. Nothing more.<\/p>\n

    https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=EiEIaabXw2c<\/p>\n

    Subscribe to Squawka\u2019s Youtube channel here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \u201cThings are clear: I never refused to enter the field. It seems to me that the images speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI had only one wish, to enter the field and help my teammates like I always have and will do until the end of the season. Forza Milan.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Gattuso hints at private punishment for Bakayoko<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Bakayoko has impressed for Milan during his loan spell, making 39 appearances across all competitions for the Italian giants this term.<\/p>\n

    Milan have the option to make the move permanent, but Gattuso’s comments after Monday’s incident suggest there is friction between player and manager.<\/p>\n

    “Everyone can insult me,” Gattuso said<\/a>. “But then I will fix the situation within the four walls of locker room, where I can use my language that I can\u2019t use on TV.”<\/p>\n

    With Chelsea under a transfer ban, Maurizio Sarri may consider using Bakayoko in his first-team squad next season if the Frenchman returns to Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n