Frustrated Rino Gattuso has rounded on Italian referees' reaction to swearing and pleaded with them to adopt a Scottish style approach in the future.
The Napoli boss watched as captain Lorenzo Insigne was sent off for foul language in a crucial Serie A match.
Gattuso played 34 games for Rangers during 1997 and 1998 after he was picked up on a free transfer bargain from Perugia.
He went on to win the World Cup with Italy and two Champions League trophies with AC Milan before becoming a coach.
And, after watching Insigne get a red card for swearing at ref Davide Massa during Napoli's 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan, Gattuso pleaded with Italian refs to follow their counterparts in Scotland.
He said: "The captain of a team cannot be shown a red card for swearing at the referee.
"I played in Scotland and still follow Scottish football. Let me tell you, it would never happen there. Players swear at the refs and tell referees to f*** off all the time and nothing happens.
"They would maybe have a word or something. Only in Italy would something like this happen.
"When I was a player in Scotland, the referee would show some common sense and understand that after a dubious penalty, a player can say f*** off and the official should pretend not to hear it. You can't leave a team down to ten men for that."
