
ROMA’S outspoken president Jim Pallotta is calling on Italian supporters to unite in protest following the latest incidents of fan violence involving his club.
Two men from Rome were arrested before the Champions League semi-final in Liverpool last week, on suspicion of attempted murder following an assault outside the stadium that left a Reds fan in critical condition.
“It’s time now for things to change in Italy and in Rome because it is just happening too much,” Roma owner Pallotta said over the weekend.
Security concerns are high for Wednesday’s return leg in Rome.
“It’s not just an issue for Rome,” Pallotta said. “It’s an issue for Italy and it’s an issue for the authorities and it’s an issue for all of [us] to band together and to finally wake up so that we don’t have a reputation — that’s not deserved around the rest of the world — that our fans are not good fans.
“It’s just a couple of … morons that take the rest of us down.”
Since assuming Roma’s presidency in 2012, Pallotta has taken a hard stance against violent “ultra” fans, often calling them “idiots” over instances of racism and protests over security barriers.