It was a summer of change for current Roma sporting director Gianluca Petrachi. After spending over a decade with Torino, the Lecce-born director decided it was time to change environment as he opted to leave the Granata to join Roma. However, this decision — or the events that led to the final outcome of this decision — could see Petrachi being banned.
Il Tempo reports that the Federal Prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into Petrachi’s move from Torino to the Giallorossi. The reason? During the unveiling press conference of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, he was asked about the contract renewal of Edin Dzeko — Petrachi’s response to the question included the phrase, “…when I met Inter for the first time in May, I set my price”.
These words were picked-up by Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, whose article is being used as a piece of evidence, as they noted that Petrachi was still under contract with Torino during this time and did not have the authority to hold formal talks on behalf of Roma. Another piece of evidence being used against Petrachi includes his trip to Madrid with Roma CEO Giudo Fienga to hold talks with Paulo Fonseca. Petrachi was intercepted upon returning to Rome following the negotiations with the Giallorossi’s eventual new manager, which prompted outrage from Torino, who were technically still his employer at the time.
Petrachi wasn’t formally announced as Roma’s new sporting director until 25 June and was not allowed to begin work with the club until 1 July, the start of the new league calendar. So what now? The Prosecutor’s office is still gathering evidence and will soon meet with Petrachi to take a statement and have him further clarify the statement he made in regards to Dzeko.
If it’s confirmed that Petrachi was working for Roma while still under contract with Torino, he risks a ban of anywhere from a few months to upwards of one year. It’s also possible that he could walk away with simply a fine — but for the time being, Petrachi is forced to wait for the investigation to take shape.
