Antonio Cassano's return to bad habits overshadowed Monday's post-match chat about Roma's renewed hopes of closing the gap on Inter and Italian chances in this week's Champions League games.
''Antonio's technical qualities are incredible but certain types of behaviour are unacceptable,'' Sampdoria General Manager Giuseppe Marotta told Italian radio.
''We now have to sit down with him and make him understand that these antics can seriously compromise his future,'' said Marotta.
He said the player would be docked wages as soon as a disciplinary board announces his ban.
''If it's four matches then he'll be docked 20 days of pay which is a lot where someone like Cassano is concerned''.
Earlier, former top referee Paolo Casarin said Cassano should get a five-match ban for hurling insults, threats and his jersey at the ref during Samp's 2-2 draw with Torino.
''It's what he deserves,'' Casarin said.
The Italian sports press predicted that Cassano's latest outburst might scupper his hopes of a return to the Italy squad for Euro 2008.
''Cassano now has his work cut out to make the memory of this latest escapade disappear, especially for such a strict boss as Roberto Donadoni,'' said La Gazzetta dello Sport.
''The last thing Cassano needed was another 'cassanata','' said the other sports daily, Corriere dello Sport, using the term pundits coined several years ago for the 25-year-old's tantrums.
In other comment, pundits reckoned Inter still had a lock on the championship despite the 1-0 upset at Napoli that allowed Roma to close to within six points of the leaders.
Some commentators reckoned that Inter's thoughts were already on its return match against Liverpool in the Champions League last 16 next week, where it is faced with overturning a 0-2 deficit.
In the meantime, Roma will be hoping to hang on to a 2-1 lead against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Before that, Milan only needs a 1-0 win against Arsenal at San Siro on Tuesday night.
