Inter striker Mario Balotelli has accused Roma club captain Francesco Totti of racially abusing him during the Italian Cup final.
Totti was sent off a couple of minutes from time after wildly kicking out at Balotelli as the Romans went down 1-0 to a Diego Milito strike on Wednesday.
The veteran forward then came out on Thursday and tried to explain away his actions by claiming Balotelli had insulted him. But the teenager of Ghanaian descent now says Totti used a racial slur.
"Nigger piece of s***, that's what he called," Balotelli said.
Totti, so often the darling not just at Roma but of Italian football, has been roundly criticised for his moment of madness at the Stadio Olimpico with many commentators claiming that kick has booted into touch his chances of going to the World Cup.
But speaking to Corriere dello Sport Totti tried to explain away his behaviour by blaming it on the 19-year-old.
"Hearing a footballer repeatedly insulting my fans, my city, my sense of belonging to Rome, as well as me personally, telling me that I'm finished was unbearable," said Totti.
"One can't tolerate that he (Balotelli) is always allowed to provoke everyone, including his own fans and those of other teams and no-one does anything to prevent his behaviour.
"He does this in practically all the stadiums in Italy and Europe. That's probably why in his own team he's never been fully accepted."
Totti also complained that those who usually supported him had abandoned him over this episode.
Balotelli's agent Mino Raiola denied Totti's claims that he had been insulted.
"Mario has assured me that he didn't insult anyone. He admits only to having said: 'stop kicking me, don't be a child and play football'. Nothing more, then Totti did the rest," he said before stoking up the tension against Totti.
"Vodafone has invested a lot of money in his positive sporting image. I doubt that their coloured and anti-racist clients are happy now.
"What should (Brazilian team-mate) Juan say to his captain now. Totti will have to be careful managing this incident."