Tranmere manager John Aldridge has admitted giving Leicester's Theo Zagorakis "a clip around the ear" during the League Cup final - an action which yesterday earned him a Football Association misconduct charge.
Aldridge was incensed when Zagorakis, who was on the substitutes' bench, applauded the referee for dismissing Tranmere defender Clint Hill after he fouled Emile Heskey.
Leicester won Sunday's final 21, and the FA rubbed salt in the wound by bringing the charge against the Tranmere Rovers boss, who has 14 days to respond to the charge and request a personal hearing.
Aldridge said: "I got carried away in the heat of the moment. I was really upset to see a fellow professional applauding a sending-off.
"I didn't punch him but I gave him a little clip around the ear. There was nothing malicious in it whatsoever.
"Zagorakis apologised after the game. I had a word with him after the game; he had no problem with me and just wanted to say sorry for applauding.
"I am sure, however, some of the critics would love to think I had actually punched him."
Aldridge follows Sunderland midfielder Alex Rae into the dock after another weekend of strife in the English game.
Rae was charged with misconduct after elbowing Derby captain Darryl Powell during the 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Wolves striker Ade Akinbiyi may also face an FA charge after being sent off for head-butting Nottingham Forest's Tony Vaughan, while there was crowd trouble at Wigan's game with Stoke at the weekend.
Former Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has handed would-be suitors a blow by claiming he will stay with Atletico Madrid for at least another year.
Middlesbrough and Tottenham have both been strongly linked with the Dutch forward who moved to Spain in a £12 million deal last summer, but their efforts look destined to come to nothing.
Everton have parted company with Slaven Bilic. The Croatian defender, who had 28 months remaining on his Goodison Park contract, is leaving due to a persistent hip injury picked up in the last World Cup.
The club and the player mutually agreed to terminate the contract (believed to be worth more than £1 million) and the centreback is to return to Split in his native Croatia where he aims to become involved with his former club, Hadjuk Split.
Meanwhile, Everton last night called off a move to sign Stephen Hughes from Arsenal after the former England under-21 midfielder rejected the personal terms on offer.
The clubs had agreed a fee - thought to be around £3 million - and Hughes was keen to move after becoming increasingly disenchanted with life at Highbury because of limited opportunities in the first team. But the Goodison Park club last night described the deal as "dead" after the 23-year-old refused to accept their contract offer.
