Zaniolo denies punching two Roma youth players

Fiorentina midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo has denied allegations that helium provoked Roma younker players aft Monday's Primavera Championship semifinal successful Florence.

Zaniolo watched Fiorentina's younker squad travel from down to bushed the Roma youngsters 2-1 astatine Viola Park connected Monday.

In a nine statement, Roma said that their erstwhile subordinate Zaniolo "allegedly entered the Primavera team's dressing country aft the lucifer and engaged successful provocative behaviour towards immoderate of the Giallorossi younker players" and that "during the confrontation, 2 players from the Primavera squad were reportedly physically struck."

Zaniolo rejected that mentation of events.

"At the extremity of the match, I went down to the locker country to congratulate the Fiorentina players and past I went to the Roma locker country to accidental hullo and congratulate them connected their season, but astatine a definite constituent they started insulting me, truthful astatine that point, to debar the concern escalating, I decided to leave," helium said successful a statement.

Zaniolo, 25, made his Serie A debut with Roma and was voted the league's Young Player of the Year for 2018-19. He spent astir 5 years with the Giallorossi betwixt 2018 and 2023 earlier moving to Galatasaray.

He joined Fiorentina connected indebtedness from Galatasaray successful February aft erstwhile indebtedness spells astatine Aston Villa and Atalanta.

Fiorentina person an enactment to marque his enactment imperishable this summer.