Furious Giuseppe Bellusci hit out at Leeds United fans on Twitter for abusing him on his comeback for the club.
The controversial defender was selected in the first half XI for Leeds on Saturday afternoon as they began their pre-season campaign with a friendly encounter at the home of non-league side Guiseley.
Manager Thomas Christiansen gave defender Bellusci 45 minutes as he played two completely different XIs for the match to run the rule over as many of his squad members as possible.
The travelling Leeds fans were unimpressed at the return of Bellusci and continuously jeered him throughout the first half before he was withdrawn at half-time.
The centre-back was clearly unhappy at his treatment from supporters and took to Twitter midway through the second half to criticise those who had made him the victim of their ire.
“Fortunately in this world we have the children to set an example to the adults,” Bellusci said on his personal Twitter account.
Fortunately in this world we have the children to set an example to the adults!
— Giuseppe Bellusci (@peppe_ele) July 8, 2017
Bellusci is a controversial figure at Leeds after a series of incidents during his two-year spell in the team from 2014 to 2016 and is deeply unpopular with the majority of the fanbase.
The centre-back is back at Elland Road after failing to secure a transfer to a Serie A club for the final year of his contract, which expires next summer.
The Italian centre-back spent the 2016-17 season on loan at Empoli, where he made 33 appearances in all competitions, but their relegation from the top flight on the final day of the season eliminated his chances of converting his temporary stay into a permanent one.
Bellusci has been the subject of reported interest from Serie A duo Cagliari and Bologona, with reports in Italy even mooting the possibility of a swap deal with giant Poland defender Bartosz Salamon heading in the opposite direction.
Leeds are likely to be in the market for at least one centre-back this summer and possibly even two, with Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper the only two senior players in that position on the books.