AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini said he was surprised at the reaction to his horror tackle on Spurs defender Vedran Corluka.
The former Arsenal midfielder escaped with a booking for the brutal two-footed lunge during the first leg of the Champions League last-16 clash.
Full-back Corluka had to be carried off on a stretcher after the challenge in the second half of the 1-0 win in the San Siro.
"In the Premier League you see tackles like that every week. Of course, it is always important to play the ball. But I went for the ball", Flamini told the Daily Mail.
"In four years in England I don't think I was ever sent off straight away. It's not like I have a reputation for bad tackles. Most of the time at Arsenal we were the team that was kicked."
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp lambasted Flamini for the tackle after the match, claiming that the 24-year-old Corluka was lucky not to break his leg.
However, Flamini has defended his actions, including his aggressive gesture to the Milan fans following the tackle.
"On the pitch I am a different person. I am feeling everything, full commitment", he said. "I then turned to the fans because at that moment I felt I had won my, how do you say, duel? Yes, I had won my duel. I had won the tackle."
"It's important to win those tackles and have character in the team. But after that I went to see the player (Corluka). At that moment I didn't realise I had hurt him."
