Totti set to face ban? Tuesday 4 March, 2008
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Francesco Totti has been referred to the Italian Football Federation’s disciplinary commission for “having expressed opinions denying the regularity of the championship.”
Totti’s referral is based on statements made by the Roma captain after the Giallorossi’s game with Inter last Wednesday.
It all began after the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 victory at Catania in early February. Asked to comment on the result Er Pupone said: “Inter are strong, but something always happens and they win.
“There is a slight psychological bias on the part of everyone. I don’t want to attack Inter, their players are good and they win on the pitch. But on the field they receive help.”
Totti later qualified his statement, saying: “I don’t think Inter have done what Juventus did in the past.”
Roma then travelled to the Giuseppe Meazza to face the League leaders where Philippe Mexes was sent-off in controversial circumstances and Javier Zanetti equalised after 87 minutes to rob La Magica of a vital three points.
“[Referee Roberto] Rosetti has ruined everything. We played better at San Siro. In the evening I was right to talk about ‘aiutone’ – help,” raged Totti.
“I am disappointed because you train all week and then, you know what? Because they are strong or because something happens, they always win.”
Whether Il Capitano will be banned or fined is up to Stefano Palazzi, the Italian Federation’s magistrate.
Palazzi called Totti into question for “damaging directly or indirectly the reputation, prestige and credibility of the federal institutions and the operative organs of the FIGC.”
Italy’s referees and their designator, Pierluigi Collina, have come under heavy criticism recently after mistakes by a young and raw batch of officials cost a number of teams – most notably Juventus at Reggina where the Bianconeri were denied three penalties.
Collina is responsible for the designation and the education of Italy’s refereeing class, which is comprised of new and inexperienced recruits after the Calciopoli scandal seriously depleted the peninsula’s pool of top class match officials.
