Flamengo fitness coach apologises for bust-up with forward Pedro

Flamengo assistant coach Pablo Fernandez apologised on Sunday for an altercation with his own club's forward Pedro after the Brazilian side's 2-1 win at Atletico Mineiro on Saturday.

Flamengo fitness trainer Fernandez reportedly reprimanded Pedro in the dressing room at the Raimundo Sampaio Stadium about his poor attitude after the player sat on the bench unhappy about not coming on as a substitute during the Serie A match.

Pedro alleged that Fernandez punched him in the face.

Both men were later seen arriving at a police station in Belo Horizonte and local media reports said Pedro had filed a formal complaint against Argentine coach Fernandez.

"I could be here talking about the limited play I've been getting in recent games but what happened today was more serious than what can happen inside the pitch," 26-year-old Pedro wrote on his Instagram account.

"Cowardly, without reason and inexplicably, I was attacked with a punch in the face by Pablo Fernandez, a member of Sampaoli's coaching staff.

"The physical cowardice has outweighed the psychological cowardice I have suffered in recent weeks."

The fitness trainer apologised on social media on Sunday, acknowledging the incident and explaining that he reacted in a "high-stress situation".

"I could start these words in a thousand ways, but the only one that really makes sense is to apologise. To Pedro, to the team mates, to the workers and to Flamengo," said Fernandez.

"I went into the dressing room very upset, wanting to resolve the situation right away and I did it wrong.

"High competition often has things that make us sick. High-stress situations that make us react and think badly. I don't mean to put this context as an excuse but as an explanation.

Flamengo's Argentine coach