Bologna midfielder Amadou Diawara has said that he is disappointed with the referee's decision to send him off during his team's 1-0 victory over Genoa on Saturday evening.

The 18-year-old was shown a second yellow card in the final minute as he reacted to racist abuse from the crowd, and he has spoken of his anger that the match official misunderstood his gestures.

"I was happy for the goal," Diawara told Bologna's official website. "After celebrating with Rossettini I mimed some gorilla gestures in response to the howls I heard directed at me, from the crowd behind the goal.

"It was in no way a vulgar or offensive gesture, it was simply an answer to what I thought was a lack of respect shown towards me.

"I am very disappointed that this gesture was misunderstood [by the referee], however, it is something that I will learn from."

Diawara has recently been linked with a move to Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester City.

Written by
Alex Meyers