AS Roma awarded 3-0 victory

ROME - The Associated Press Agence France-Presse

AS Roma rises to fifth spot in the Serie A after being awarded a 3-0 victory. AFP Photo

Roma was yesterday awarded a 3-0 victory over Cagliari by the Italian football authorities after the club’s match at the Sardinian club was controversially postponed hours before kick-off.

The match was set to be played in an empty stadium because Cagliari’s Is Arena stadium is undergoing renovation work.

However, club president Massimo Cellino invited supporters to attend the match regardless, forcing the local authorities in Cagliari to call a halt to the league fixture over security fears.

Roma’s general manager Franco Baldini hit out at the alleged manipulation of the situation by Cagliari and indicated that the club would be appealing to be awarded the match under article 17 of the Italian Football Federation’s charter.

Judge Gianpaolo Tosel found in favor of Roma and awarded the club a 3-0 victory.

The win sees Roma, who hosts Sampdoria tomorrow, move up to fifth place in the Serie A table.

The head of the Italian football federation said that Cagliari President Massimo Cellino will be punished.
 
“Massimo Cellino’s behavior is unacceptable and damages the image of the whole of Italian football,” FICG President Giancarlo Abete said. “What started almost as a joke, with Cellino saying he had four stadiums at his disposal, ended like this. It’s incredible, unacceptable and disturbing; besides anything else, certain behavior in Serie A has far-reaching effects. Cellino represents the League on the federal board, I believe that the higher up you are the more responsibility you have to assume.

“All this will certainly be punished, but the league has to learn a lesson from it and take the cue to improve the behavior of its leaders.”