Former Aston Villa star Nicolo Zaniolo is accused of hitting two Roma youth after their match with Fiorentina.
Zaniolo, who is on loan in Fiorentina from Galatasaray, would have visited Roma's dressing room after the semi-final of the Primavera Youth League title Play-Off, who won La Viola 2-1.
And Roma claims that their former midfielder struck two of their youth team players after “dealing with provocative behavior”.
The Serie A Big Boys said in a statement: “AS Roma announces that, after today's game, a regrettable incident took place with player Nicolo Zaniolo.
“According to the initial reconstructions, the player is said to have entered the dressing room of the Primavera team after the game and dealt with provocative behavior compared to some of the Giallorossi youth players.
“During the confrontation, two players from the Primavera team were reportedly physically affected.
“AS Roma cannot, except for no form of aggressive behavior or behavior that does not correspond to the values ​​of sport.”
Italy International Zaniolo, who made 39 performances for Aston Villa during a loan saying from 2023/24 in Villa Park, has denied Roma's accounts about the incident.
The former Giallorossi star claims that he was offended after a visit to his old dressing room and had left after receiving a stream of verbal abuse.
He said: “At the end of the game I went into the dressing room to congratulate the Fiorentina boys and then went through the Roma room to greet and compliment during their season.
“However, at a certain moment they started to insult me.
“So at that stage, to prevent the situation from degenerating, I preferred to just leave.”
Zaniolo today added an update about Instagram, in which he apologized for his behavior, but denied being “physically aggressive”.
In a statement he wrote: “I went there with the only intention to give a positive message … Unfortunately I was verbally provoked by a boy and, wrongly, I lost my patience.
“However, I want to point out that the facts are far removed from what has been reconstructed and that, apart from a verbal argument, there was no physically aggressive behavior, apart from a verbal argument.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for what happened yesterday. I know I have responded badly and I take responsibility for it.”
In the summer of 2018, Zaniolo joined Roma at Inter Milan for compensation in the £ 4 million region.
He would spend four and a half seasons in the Stadio Olimpico – a stint that was destroyed by injury – for a relocation of £ 13.5 million to Galatasaray in February 2023.
He would be on loan at Villa six months later and would score three goals in his 39 performances for the Brummie Club.
He started the 2024/25 season on loan in Atalanta, but would end the campaign with Fiorentina, for whom he made 13 performances in all competitions.