Fiorentina striker Nicolo Zaniolo has responded to allegations made by AS Roma, his previous club, accusing him of assaulting two players from the Roma Primavera team after a youth match. Following their defeat to Fiorentina, Roma released a statement detailing the incident.

“AS Roma announces that, following today’s match, a regrettable incident occurred involving player Nicolo Zaniolo. According to initial reports, he allegedly entered the Primavera team’s dressing room post-match and exhibited provocative behavior towards some of the youth players. During this confrontation, it was reported that two Primavera players were physically struck. AS Roma firmly condemns any form of aggressive behavior that contradicts the values of sportsmanship.”

Fiorentina subsequently issued a statement on Zaniolo’s behalf. He stated, “At the end of the match, I went to congratulate the Fiorentina boys and then visited the Roma locker room to offer my congratulations on their season. At that moment, they began hurling insults at me, so I decided to leave to prevent the situation from escalating.”

Zaniolo played for AS Roma from 2018 to 2023 before transferring to Galatasaray, and most recently has had loan spells at Aston Villa and Atalanta, joining Fiorentina in the last six months, featuring in a total of 13 matches across competitions.