The fight allegedly occurred at the end of Monday’s Primavera (academy) championship semi-final between Fiorentina and AS Roma in Florence.
Roma said in a statement that Zaniolo entered their youth team’s dressing room after the match, which Fiorentina won 2-1 to progress the final, and “engaged in provocative behaviour towards some of the Giallorossi youth players”.
“During the confrontation, two players from the Primavera squad were reportedly physically struck,” Roma added.
Fiorentina, who Zaniolo joined on loan from Galatasaray in January, quoted the player as saying he entered the dressing room to say “well played” to the Roma team, but was insulted and so decided to leave.
On Tuesday, however, the 25-year-old admitted on Instagram that he “reacted badly” and said that “I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart for what happened yesterday”.
Zaniolo, who played for Roma for five years and scored the decisive goal when they won the Conference League in 2022 but left on bad terms in 2023, said that “there was no physically aggressive behaviour”.
ANSA
