Roma accuse Serie A star: U20 player assaulted & urinated in dressing room? | OneFootball

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AS Roma released an official statement on Tuesday evening, addressing a serious incident that occurred after the semi-final of the Primavera - Italy's U20 league - against AC Florence.

According to the statement, two of Roma's youth players, Mattia Almaviva and Marco Litti, were admitted to the hospital following a confrontation with Nicolò Zaniolo. The 25-year-old is currently on loan from Galatasaray to Fiorentina and was present at the aforementioned match as a spectator.

According to club information, Zaniolo entered the Roma dressing rooms in Viola Park unauthorized and accompanied by another person on the evening of May 26. Eyewitnesses reportedly said that the former Roma professional appeared heavily intoxicated.

📸 Gabriele Maltinti - 2025 Getty Images

He subsequently urinated in the club's facilities, provoked players, and without any verbal altercation, attacked Almaviva with a punch, and violently pushed Litti against a bench. Particularly alarming: Litti had recently undergone shoulder surgery. Roma expects Almaviva to be out for ten days, and Litti for 21 days.

The capital club expressed its "horror at the violent and unacceptable behavior" and calls for consequences. "We stand behind our youth players and trust that the responsible institutions will act and protect the values of Italian football," was the final message.

Zaniolo, however, describes the situation completely differently. "After the game, I went to Fiorentina's dressing room to congratulate the players on their performance, and then went to Roma's dressing room to also offer end-of-season congratulations. Suddenly I was insulted, so I decided to leave to avoid an escalation," the midfielder wrote in a post on his Instagram profile after the incident. Fiorentina has not yet commented on the incident.

📸 Marco Rosi - SS Lazio - 2025 Getty Images