Roma: Drunk Zaniolo hospitalized 2 youth players

AS Roma person accused Fiorentina winger Nicolò Zaniolo of hospitalising 2 of their younker players and drunkenly urinating successful their locker country successful what they termed "violent and unjustifiable behaviour."

The incidental allegedly happened aft Fiorentina bushed Roma successful the Primavera younker league rubric playoff semifinal connected Monday.

Zaniolo earlier denied immoderate wrongdoing aft Roma issued an connection accusing him of displaying "provocative behaviour" and allegedly physically assaulting 2 younker players.

The Italian shot federation reportedly opened an probe connected Tuesday.

But Roma released a caller connection precocious Tuesday nighttime aft what they said was "a thorough probe of the facts."

"On the evening of May 26, pursuing the Primavera semi-final lucifer Fiorentina vs AS Roma astatine Viola Park, Nicolò Zaniolo (Fiorentina archetypal team) unlawfully entered the Roma dressing country country accompanied by an associate, contempt lacking accreditation," Roma's connection read.

"Witnesses study Zaniolo appeared visibly intoxicated. He urinated successful Roma facilities, provoked players, and, without verbal exchange, physically struck Mattia Almaviva and violently pushed Marco Litti against a bench. Litti had precocious undergone enarthrosis surgery. Both players required hospitalization: Almaviva received a 10-day betterment prognosis, Litti 21 days.

"AS Roma stands firmly by its younker players and is appalled by the convulsive and unjustifiable behaviour witnessed astatine Viola Park. We spot that the institutions volition enactment decisively to guarantee accountability and support the values of Italian football."

Zaniolo is connected indebtedness astatine Fiorentina from Galatasaray. He joined the Turkish squad from Roma aft 5 years astatine the superior club, during which helium was named Serie A young subordinate of the twelvemonth successful 2019.

The 25-year-old Zaniolo was successful the stands astatine Viola Park to ticker the lucifer connected Monday.

"I went determination with the lone volition of giving a affirmative connection ... Unfortunately, I was verbally provoked by a lad and, mistakenly, I mislaid my temper," Zaniolo wrote successful Instagram successful effect to Roma's archetypal statement.

"However, I would similar to constituent retired that the facts are acold removed from what has been reconstructed and that connected my part, isolated from a verbal argument, determination was nary physically assertive behaviour.

"I privation to apologise from the bottommost of my bosom for what happened yesterday. I cognize I reacted severely and I instrumentality work for it."

Zaniolo was considered 1 of Italy's astir promising prospects and made his planetary debut arsenic a teen successful 2019.

But injuries derailed his career. He has not featured for Italy since being ruled retired of past year's European Championship aft breaking his metatarsal portion connected indebtedness astatine Aston Villa successful the penultimate lucifer of the season.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was utilized successful this report.