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Roma CEO Guido Fienga speaks after the hearing on their Hellas Verona loss appeal

RomaPress Staff

Roma’s appeal regarding their automatic loss to Hellas Verona was heard today by the Italian Olympic Committee’s (CONI) Collegio di Garanzia.

Present were lawyers from Roma, Hellas Verona, and Lega Serie A, who handed down the ruling in September. The proceedings lasted for about an hour with each side presenting their case.

Hellas Verona and Lega Serie A argued that the decision should be upheld due to previous precedence. Meanwhile, Roma’s lawyer, Antonio Conte, asserted that the penalty was too severe and asked the Court to overturn the penalty.

Following the hearing, Fienga echoed Conte’s sentiments when he spoke briefly to the media.

“We hope that the Court accepts our invitation to reconsider the previous ruling,” he said.

“The rule that the Lega referred to does not differentiate between a simple mistake versus an act done maliciously. We aren’t trying to hide the fact that Roma made a mistake, but it’s a mistake that didn’t bring us any advantage.”

Furthermore, Fienga rejected Lega Serie A’s argument that the case is identical to the one from 2016 involving Sassuolo and Pescara. Like Roma, the Neroverdi were handed a 3-0 loss despite having won 2-1.

However, it was determined that Sassuolo utilised an ineligible player in the fixture. Attacker Antonio Ragusa was added one day late to their already full 25-man roster.

“That case is different, we had multiple slots available to register Diawara,” he asserted. “If you’re able to realise that, then you should be able to comprehend that this was simply a mistake.”

A decision on Roma’s appeal is expected to arrive within the coming hours.

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MatchDay 24
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