Zaniolo claims Roma accusations ‘unfounded’ and clarifies dressing room incident | OneFootball

Nicolo Zaniolo insists that a statement put out by his former club Roma accusing him of ‘urinating in Roma facilities’, ‘provoking’ the Giallorossi Primavera players, physically striking Mattia Almaviva and ‘violently pushing’ Marco Litti is ‘unfounded’ as he clarifies his version of events.

Roma have accused Zaniolo of various incidents of seriously unprofessional behaviour after the Primavera semi-final match between Fiorentina and Roma at Viola Park, Fiorentina’s training centre, on Monday.

In an official statement published on Tuesday, the Giallorossi accused Zaniolo of hospitalising two of their Primavera players, Almaviva and Litti, after an altercation in the dressing room after full-time of the Fiorentina-Roma match.

VERONA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 23: Nicolo Zaniolo of Fiorentina reacts during the Serie A match between Verona and Fiorentina at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi on February 23, 2025 in Verona, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Roma have also accused Zaniolo of urinating in their team’s dressing room, which the player claims has been totally misconstrued.

Zaniolo has admitted that he was involved in a verbal exchange with members of the travelling Roma party, but has wholeheartedly denied any physical altercation.

Zaniolo denies Roma accusations in latest statement

Zaniolo, who spent five years on Roma’s books, has since posted a statement on his Instagram story clarifying his version of events.

“I’d decided to not return to the unpleasant events from Monday, trusting in the truth and respect for myself. However, in the last few days, I’ve been forced to read and listen to numerous inaccurate and imaginative reconstructions, even by one of my former teams, which I continue to admire,” Zaniolo wrote.

“In their official statement, in fact, incidents and details were reported that were completely unfounded and far from the truth. Instead of examining the dynamics of this incident (and the behaviour of some of their representatives), they preferred to emphasise details that were marginal and laughable (such as the fact that I completely legitimately used one of the toilets at my club’s training ground) and making unpleasant allusions to my non-existent ‘altered state’.

The truth is something else: I went to the dressing rooms to congratulate the Fiorentina lads and say hello to the players of my former team, without any resentment, which I also didn’t expect to receive.

“Unfortunately, when I entered the dressing room, I was met (by some in particular) with a hostile welcome. Despite this, I reiterate that there was no physically aggressive behaviour on my part.

“I will not add anything else at the moment, out of respect for the investigations that are underway by the relevant bodies. I thank Fiorentina and all of those who have been close to me in this moment, continuing to support me with respect.”