Coach Jose Mourinho said on Saturday Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo would not play in his team’s clash at Serie A leaders Napoli following a bitter transfer row in which he turned down a move from Bournemouth. Italy international Zaniolo refused to be picked for last weekend’s win at Spezia, but this time it is Mourinho and the club who have helped the 23-year-old Roma beat rivals Napoli’s march to a first league title in more than three decades. Abandoned as an attempt to slow down.
There are widespread reports in Italy that Roma are furious with Zaniolo for refusing a 30 million euro ($32.6 million) move to Bournemouth after weeks of talks between the capital club and AC Milan, even as the premiers The representatives of the league clubs were also not met. who went to Italy to make a deal.
Mourinho had said after the victory over Spezia that he believed Zaniolo would remain at Champions League-chasing Roma even after the winter transfer window closed.
“Unfortunately it looks like I was right,” he said on Saturday.
“I say unfortunately because for a month the player has been saying he wants to leave,” Mourinho told reporters.
“When a player says to the coach, club and teammates: ‘I don’t want to play for Roma, I don’t want to wear a Roma shirt, I don’t want to train with my teammates… I want to be a happy player who helps other players. Let us be happy.
“He’s not available, he’s not part of the project.”
Zaniolo was already regarded as one of Italy’s brightest young talents when he burst onto the scene with Roma as a teenager, but his early career was severely damaged by serious injuries to both knees. Was.
He returned the previous season and was key to Roma’s Conference League victory under Mourinho, scoring the winning goal in the final against Feyenoord to secure their first major European trophy.
But now he wants to go to the Eternal City after a bad campaign in which he is overwhelmed paulo dybala As the clear star of Mourinho’s team.
With neither the club nor the player having any intention of extending the contract which expires in June next year, Zaniolo could potentially be sidelined for months before a deal is struck to leave him in the summer.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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