Guidolin aimed gun at players

Former Italy international Amauri claimed Francesco Guidolin aimed a rifle at the Palermo players to help motivate his team before a European fixture in 2006.

Amauri, 37, spent two years at Palermo and he recalled an incident before the Italian club faced West Ham in the second leg of their UEFA Cup first-round qualifying fixture 11 years ago.

Leading the Premier League side 1-0 after the opening leg, Amauri revealed ex-Swansea City manager Guidolin used a weapon to inspire the squad prior to the clash at Stadio Renzo Barbera as Palermo went on to triumph 4-0 on aggregate.

"I'll never forget what happened one afternoon in training," Amauri said in quotes attributed to Il Giornale di Sicilia.

"We prepared for the second leg of our UEFA Cup tie with West Ham and Guidolin came into the dressing room with a big bag.

"He then pulled out a rifle and aimed it at all my team-mates and I, exclaiming, 'we've hurt them, now let's go on the pitch and finish them off…'

"I remember that with [Fabio] Simplicio, we managed to hold back the laughter, but it's a nice memory, which I still remember with pleasure."