Nicolo Zaniolo Accused of Punching Roma Youth Players After Heated Match

 

The highly anticipated semi-final of the Primavera youth league Scudetto play-offs between Fiorentina and Roma yesterday, Monday, May 26, 2025, ended not with a handshake, but with shocking accusations of a dressing room bust-up involving former Roma star Nicolò Zaniolo. Roma has formally accused the attacking midfielder, currently on loan at Fiorenti na from Galatasaray, of physically striking two of their youth team players.

The alleged incident occurred at Viola Park, shortly after Fiorentina secured their win over the Giallorossi. Zaniolo, who was reportedly watching from the stands and cheering on his current club, found himself at the center of a furious controversy. Even before the alleged confrontation, tensions were apparently high, with Fiorentina fans said to be hurling insults at their Roma counterparts.

AS Roma wasted no time in releasing a formal statement on its website, condemning the alleged actions:

"AS Roma announces that, following today’s match, a regrettable incident occurred involving player Nicolò Zaniolo. According to initial reconstructions, the player allegedly entered the Primavera team’s dressing room after the match and engaged in provocative behavior towards some of the Giallorossi youth players. During the confrontation, two players from the Primavera squad were reportedly physically struck. AS Roma cannot but firmly condemn any form of aggressive conduct or behavior that does not align with the values of sport.”

Reports from Sportitalia further suggest that Zaniolo was not authorized to be in the dressing rooms but entered anyway, sparking an argument with several Roma players that allegedly escalated into physical violence, with Zaniolo accused of punching two teenagers.

However, Fiorentina promptly released their own official statement, presenting Zaniolo’s version of events, which sharply contradicts Roma's account:

“At the end of the match, I went into the locker room to congratulate the Fiorentina lads, then passed through the Roma room to salute and compliment them on their season. However, at a certain point they started to insult me, so at that stage, to avoid the situation degenerating, I preferred to simply leave.”

This alleged altercation isn't just a random incident; it's steeped in Zaniolo's tumultuous history with AS Roma. He rose to fame at the club, even winning the Serie A Young Player of the Year award in 2018-19, before a dramatic fallout saw him demand a transfer in January 2023. Since then, his career has been a series of unsuccessful loan spells at Galatasaray, Aston Villa, Atalanta, and now Fiorentina, with none of these clubs opting for a permanent transfer.

The clash of narratives leaves much to be investigated. Was this a deliberate act of aggression, a misunderstanding, or a volatile reaction to a heated rivalry? Regardless, the alleged dressing room bust-up has ignited a new fire in the long-standing tensions between Zaniolo and his former club, casting a shadow over a significant youth football match.