Celta Vigo striker Nolito has hit back at allegations he showed disrespect to Deportivo la Coruna supporters.
The former Barcelona and Benfica man opened the scoring in Tuesday night’s 2-1 Galician derby victory over Depor and immediately kissed his badge in front of their supporters.
It was a gesture that earned the ire of the Depor followers, yet one that Nolito says implied no disrespect.
“To kiss the badge in front of the Depor fans when I scored was not a lack of respect. Celta are the ones that pay me and put food on my family’s table.
“At the moment I’m happy with the way things are going, both on a collective and personal level, and I hope to carry on this good run,” Nolito told Sport.
The 27-year-old, who has scored three goals in five games this season, praised the way his team played against what he considered a difficult opponent.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match and that’s the way it turned out. We are not Real Madrid and we are not going to win any game easily.
“At the end we were a little tired but this side knows how to suffer and compete,” he declared.
