Sampdoria manager Sinisa Mihajlovic says he apologised to left-back Vasco Regini straight away for losing his temper with him at the conclusion of Tuesday evening's derby draw with Genoa.
The Serbian coach was involved in an angry confrontation with his own player, who he reprimanded for giving away a cheap free-kick in stoppage time which Genoa nearly converted.
The game ended 1-1 with Samp remaining ahead of their city rivals on head-to-head record, but Mihajlovic was nevertheless incensed with the risk Regini took.
His anger had placated by the time he told Sky Sport Italia his feelings, and when he was back in the dressing room, he delivered an apology to Regini.
"I'm just a passionate person and sometimes the adrenaline can lead you to overstep the mark," Mihajovic said. "But it's one thing being brusque with your player and another to put your hands around his neck, and let's be clear about it -- I did not do that.
"Let's clarify it: I did not grab Regini by the neck, I just got him by his shirt and put my hand on his chest and screamed at him that such mistakes are not acceptable, especially not in a derby. It's not the first time that we've conceded a goal that way.
"If the game had lasted another three minutes, that scene would never have happened because I would have had the time to calm down and I would only have spoken to him in the dressing room.
"It's just that the referee blew full-time straight afterwards and it came spontaneously for me to run straight to him. But I apologised on television for it and I apologised to the lad again in the dressing room in front of the whole team. It all ends there. He understood and he's not going to make a mistake like that again, you'll see."
Indeed it was the timing of Regini's intervention which riled Mihajlovic more than anything. The referee was about to blow the final whistle when the free-kick was awarded, and Juraj Kucka's header planted against the crossbar.
It was a matter of centimetres from depriving the hosts a point and allowing Genoa to overtake them in the standings, and bag the bragging rights. All that became just a little too much for Mihajlovic to see potentially slip away in those final seconds.
"I think I'm one of the most pacified and serene coaches in the post-match analysis," Mihajlovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Sometimes the pressure grows during the game and if each player is tense, then imagine me the coach who is tense for myself and then multiply that by 11 for each player.
"If I gave the wrong impression, then I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be hypocritical. It's often said that the dirty washing should not be washed in public, but I'm not false. I don't say in public that everything's fine and then get furious in private. I'm a direct and honest man. I don't fake.
"I defend my men, but if they get something wrong, I tell them. And if I get something wrong, I apologise. I could say that the case is closed, but there was never a case in the first place. I know that, Regini knows that and Samp know that. Now let's move on to the next game."