The correspondent from SportItalia recounted, “The screams could be heard from outside the tunnel. It was a brawl with punches and blows.”
Chaos ensued following the semi-final championship match between Roma and Fiorentina, ending in a 2-1 victory for the Viola. At the final whistle, harsh words flew between the young Giallorossi players and the fans present in the stands of Viola Park, writes SportItalia. The atmosphere was tense after the defeat and among the negatively highlighted figures was also Nicolò Zaniolo. The former Roma player – not authorized to be on the field – infiltrated the Giallorossi locker room and provoked some of the licensed players. Then, tempers flared, and Zaniolo struck two Roma players (likely Litti and Almaviva) with a slap. The SportItalia correspondent then reported: “I have been following the Primavera championship for ten years and have never seen scenes like this. The executives are still not coming out. A brawl with punches or fists allegedly thrown at someone. All of this reportedly began not from the younger individuals, but from certain attitudes embraced by those who are older. Galloppa, the coach of Fiorentina’s Youth Team, also spoke: “I kept the team out to avoid problems. I saw a brawl happening inside, but I couldn’t understand anything. “I was left out because I do not want the boys to risk anything. A pitiful scene that I hope gets resolved.” “In my opinion, it was more an issue among the top brass, not the youngsters.” The official statement from the Yellow and Reds club follows: “AS Roma announces that after today’s match, an unfortunate incident involving football player Nicolò Zaniolo occurred.” According to what has been pieced together, the footballer allegedly went into the Primavera team’s locker room at the end of the match and acted in a provocative manner towards some athletes of the yellow-red nursery team. During the altercation, two players from the Primavera team were reportedly physically assaulted. “AS Roma strongly condemns any form of aggressive behavior or actions not in line with the values of sports.”