Published: 12:10, September 23, 2020 | Updated: 16:29, June 5, 2023
Roma given defeat by Serie A for using ineligible player
By Reuters

AS Roma's Guinean midfielder Amadou Diawara (left) controls the ball during the Italian Serie A football match Hellas Verona vs As Roma on Sept 19, 2020 at Marcantonio Bentegodi stadium in Verona. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP)

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.

In 2016 Sassuolo lost 0-3 to Pescara for fielding Antonino Ragusa, who was not in the official player list

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.

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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.