Roma executive Tiago Pinto called on Italian football to better protect Nicolo Zaniolo following this past weekend’s event against Genoa.
The 22 year-old was sent off in the dying moments of the affair for dissent after referee Rosario Abisso overturned his game-winning goal. Manager Jose Mourinho criticised Abisso’s decision because he claimed Zaniolo was merely asking him why his goal was waived-off.
Nonetheless, many still questioned Zaniolo’s behavior and labeled him as immature following the episode.
“Nicolo is an asset of Roma and Italian football,” Pinto told SportMediaset
“He must he must be protected. Our job is to protect him but Italian football must do it, too. He’s a golden boy—so those those who are on the outside shouldn’t be the one’s judging his attitude or behavior.”
He added, “He’s truly a really good guy and we’re always going to be by his side. Right now isn’t the time to discuss his contract renewal. Tonight is an important match for us. We’re very motivated and ambitious to advance.”
“The refereeing issues? Our ownership, the Friedkins, tell us that if you continuously discuss the exact same issue then it’s clear that there’s an ongoing problem.”
“I’d love to not have to discuss referee-related matters because it would mean there’s no longer a problem and there’s uniformity in the decisions made. That’s what I would prefer: consistency in refereeing episodes.”
