Torino boss Sinisa Mihajlovic savaged Argentine striker Maxi López in Saturday’s press conference, saying that the player was so overweight that he was playing "like he had a washing machine tied to his back".

Asked about the form of the well-travelled 32-year-old, Mihajlovic said: “He's not fit. He is suffering because he is overweight, and it’s because of his weight problem that the work we do is hard for him. He must lose weight”.

But Mihajlovic did thank the former Barcelona and AC Milan man and gave him a back-handed compliment for stepping into the breach last weekend for the 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in Bergamo when Torino were short of options up front because of injuries.

“I spoke with Maxi. When someone is seven kilos overweight, which is like having a washing machine on his back, and he can play like he did at Bergamo, he has that class. But I am angry with him and he should be angry with himself. I told him that unless he loses weight, he will not play. He must follow a balanced diet that should enable him to lose a kilo a week. Each week, he must lose a kilo or he pays a fine”, the coach said

Torino are below mid-table with two defeats from three games. They meet Empoli tomorrow.