Zamparini: 'Frosinone illegal and squalid'

By Football Italia staff

Palermo patron Maurizio Zamparini lodged an appeal against the “illegal” Frosinone Serie B promotion play-off win after “squalid unsporting behaviour.”

The Rosanero had won the first leg of their promotion play-off, but were 1-0 down last night at the Stadio Benito Stirpe when the controversy started.

First the referee awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, changed his mind to a penalty and then reverted back to his original decision. Replays suggest the foul was right on the line, which would’ve been a spot-kick for the Sicilians.

Then during stoppages Frosinone players on the bench were spotted throwing loose footballs on to the field, breaking up play, and eventually the hosts scored a second goal on the counter-attack.

This prompted a pitch invasion and the game was halted with 90 seconds left on the clock.

“We have instructed our lawyers to lodge an appeal and support it with all the necessary evidence,” declared patron Zamparini with a video message on the club’s official website.

“I think the referee changed his mind on the penalty because he was besieged and intimidated by the opposition team, to the point that he didn’t sanction with a red card the Ilija Nestorovski headbutt that happened right in front of him.

“It was a series of events that has nothing to do with legality. It was an illegal game. From that moment on, the referee lost his bearings and we will take the necessary steps, hoping this can all lead us to have justice, because the spectacle Frosinone gave to Italian football was undignified.

“Their players even started throwing extra footballs on to the pitch to stop our attacking moves. It was not punished by the referees, the fourth official, nor the linesman.”

The problems continued after the match, as Frosinone President Maurizio Stirpe said nobody could judge them, while Coach Moreno Longo even suggested Palermo’s “finances aren’t in order” during his interview.

“It’s truly abhorrent to see people continue to throw mud at others after they were engaged in such squalid unsporting behaviour. This shows the quality of the people we are dealing with,” added Zamparini.

“It’s a truly ugly time in Italy at the moment and I remember a game we played at Parma in which the referee did the same thing.

“There are too many of these incidents in Italian football now and I hope the authorities or even the new Minister of Sport, who I believe in a great deal, can take action and begin an inquest.

“It’s not just Italy’s politics that don’t work, but also football in its illegality. This is no longer legal football.”

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