PARIS (AFP) - France coach Raymond Domenech stuck the boot in on stricken Italy international Marco Materazzi after the centre-back was the victim of another headbutt.

Materazzi, who was famously felled by a Zinedine Zidane headbutt in last year´s World Cup final, was butted again on Sunday by Sampdoria´s Gennaro Delvecchio.

But Domenech told L´Equipe TV that Materazzi "has a habit of falling over easily" before adding mischievously, "he must have a weakness somewhere."

The Inter Milan player, who scored Italy´s goal in the World Cup final that saw them win eventually in a penalty shootout, claimed afterwards that he did not provoke Delvecchio in Sunday´s fractious Serie A match.

Inter maintained their 11-point lead at the top of the table and extended their record run of consecutive league wins to 14 matches with a 2-0 victory in Genoa.

But the game swung heavily in Inter´s favour in the seventh minute when Delvecchio was sent off for headbutting Materazzi squarely on the chin.

Materazzi, who reacted angrily when Delvecchio caught Inter keeper Julio Cesar with a late challenge, insisted he did nothing wrong.

"My reaction was instinctive and all I wanted to do was protect my keeper," said the 33-year-old who lay on the ground as Delvecchio was sent off.

"I went over to say to him ´What do you think you´re doing´?. He then pushed me and I didn´t go down. Then he headbutted me and I fell to the ground. He hurt my lip.

"I admit it when I make a mistake, but on this occasion I didn´t do anything wrong."