Gilardino scored with his hand in the 3-1 win over Palermo at the weekend and was handed a two-match ban. The Viola appealed the ban but the suspension was upheld.
“I was sure the ban would stand, but we chose to appeal it because Gilardino really is a nice lad and I will stress that over and over again,” Della Valle said in the Corriere dello Sport.
“Alberto has been slaughtered over the past few days and I can’t recall something like that in recent years.
“He apologised after the game and we thought his sincerity might be important.”
“I’m not even willing to discuss Zamparini’s reaction,” Della Valle stressed.
“However, he was wrong to lambast a 26-year-old lad who is an Azzurri striker.
“If he has something to say then he can talk to me or my brother Andrea because we are much older than Gilardino.
“Perhaps the Palermo President is so vociferous because he is eager to make amends with the fans after selling Luca Toni and Amauri. He showed a true lack of class in pointing the finger at Alberto.”
