ROME: Serie A side AS Roma have been penalised with a 3-0 defeat for irregularly fielding player Amadou Diawara in the 0-0 draw against Hellas Verona last weekend, the league said in a statement on Tuesday.

Midfielder Diawara, who turned 23 in July, had not been included in the senior player list at the beginning of the season, even though he was no longer eligible for the under-22 list where he was named.

Despite this, the Guinean featured in Roma’s opening game of the season at Verona’s Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium last Saturday.

Daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Monday that Roma were ready to appeal the decision, on grounds the mistake had been made without any intention to violate the rules.

It is not the first time that Serie A has handed down a defeat for formal errors. In 2016 Sassuolo lost 0-3 to Pescara for fielding Antonino Ragusa, who was not in the official player list.

The game was Roma’s first under new owners, after the Texas-based Friedkin Group took control of the club from fellow American James Pallotta last month.

Also, Verona coach Ivan Juric was fined 5,000 euros (nearly $6,000) for having inferred directions to his team on multiple occasions even though he was suspended for the match.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2020