Lazio's Luiz Felipe has apologised after jumping on the back of Inter Milan's Joaquin Correa, a former team-mate, to celebrate his team's win - sparking a brawl and earning himself a red card.
Correa, who is playing for Inter on loan from Lazio, reacted angrily to Felipe's actions at the final whistle on Saturday despite the pair being close friends.
Players from both teams became embroiled in a melee to round off Lazio's 3-1 win before the referee dismissed Felipe, who walked off the Stadio Olimpico pitch in tears.
Goals from Ciro Immobile, Felipe Anderson and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic turned the game around after Ivan Perisic's early penalty.
Felipe subsequently posted several Instagram photos of him and Argentina international Correa together during their Lazio days, including in training and on social occasions, and issued a wordy apology to the man nicknamed 'Tucu'.
'I would like to comment on the negative effects regarding what happened today, at the end of the game,' Brazilian Felipe wrote.
'First of all, I want to clarify that I have great respect for Inter… We are all professionals, working to pursue our goals, and would never fail to respect another professional.
'At the end of the game I jumped on Tucu's shoulders because he is one of the great friends that football has given me.
'Our families are friends and we have always been very close... I wanted to hug him and joke about the result, as far as our friendship allows, but I got excited.
'Perhaps, in retrospect, it was not the best time or the most suitable place.
'I apologise to anyone who felt offended and I did not try, in any way, to be disrespectful towards him, towards other athletes or towards Internazionale and its passionate fans. It was an innocent act, by a person who has a great affection for Tucu!!'
The win saw Lazio move fifth in the Serie A standings, just three points behind Inter in third. Napoli, with a perfect record of eight wins from eight, remain top, two points ahead of AC Milan.