Roma fury at Allegri: federation decisions awaited

Roma deeply irritated by Napoli manager’s outburst: claims of alleged refereeing favours in the Champions League race rejected.

Roma aren't having it. Massimiliano Allegri angered the club with an outburst yesterday after Roma's match against Napoli at the Maradona. Between a television interview and the subsequent press conference, the Napoli manager said: "Last year they handed them the Champions League. The same people, as always…" He was referring to Roma and the qualification Gian Piero Gasperini secured with a late surge, including against Allegri's Milan: after losing away to Inter, Roma put together six wins and a draw, overtaking AC Milan on the final matchday. Allegri's words suggest Dan Friedkin's club benefited from alleged refereeing favours.

Allegri’s point of reference

Deep irritation is growing at Trigoria: no one there believes Roma benefited from any refereeing decisions during the final run that took the team back into the Champions League seven years after their last appearance. Gasperini was upset too. He had not expected an "attack" of this kind from a colleague who is also a friend. Allegri is probably referring to the match at Parma, where Roma turned a 1-2 deficit into a 3-2 win in stoppage time thanks to a decisive penalty from Malen that not everyone felt was clear-cut or right to award. AC Milan, meanwhile, missed out on qualification after losing at home to Cagliari on the final matchday.

Roma’s irritation

Roma remain astonished and irritated by remarks that caught them off guard and that they consider wholly inappropriate. At Trigoria, the club also expect the relevant authorities to shed light on the statements.