Francesco Totti is the utmost Roma’s legend and the one and only Prince of Rome. After spending his entire 24-year career with the Wolfess, that epic nickname is the least he deserved.Even though no one would probably ever reach the significance Totti has at Stadio Olimpico, several players have been pronounced his successors during the past decade and a half. Daniele De Rossi spent 18 years in Rome as a player and eight months as a coach, while Alessandro Florenzi has been faithful to Roma for 20 seasons (with a couple of loans), including his youth career, before moving to AC Milan in 2022.The latest name in this “selected company” was Nicolo Zaniolo. He joined the club in 2010 as a 11-year-old boy and moved through all the club’s youth categories before returning to Olimpico in 2018, following two brief spells with Virtus Entella and Inter Milan.Zaniolo with Roma in 2019 (©Martin Rauscher – SEPA.Media/Getty Images)As the club’s child, he was immediately put on a pedestal, and the expectations were immense. Despite several injury issues, Zaniolo stayed with Roma for the next four years before the problems started in 2022.The club initially stalled his contract extension, then he refused to move to Bournemouth, the fans were fuming, and their “love relationship” was over. In the end, Zaniolo joined Galatasaray in January 2023 but remained at war with Roma.Since then, he went on loans to Aston Villa, Atalanta, and Fiorentina, and the scene from the Wolfess’s clash against the Bergamo side still burns everyone in Rome. In December 2024, Zaniolo scored a late goal against his boyhood club at Olimpico and celebrated it by taking of his shirt and running to La Dea’s fans, to everyone’s shock.Zaniolo makes it two! ✌️#RomaAtalanta 0-2 pic.twitter.com/MEkHVdKjAo— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 2, 2024 But let’s return to the present…As a member of Fiorentina, Zaniolo was at yesterday’s duel of the club’s U-20 team against Roma, cheering for La Viola, of course. According to some sources, the 25-year-old insulted Roma’s players the whole time before entering their locker room after the match and assaulting two of them physically.Roma have accused NicolòZaniolo, on loan at Fiorentina from Galatasaray, of punching two Giallorossi youth team players during a brawl this evening.#ASRoma #Fiorentina #Galatasaray #AVFC #Zaniolo #SerieA #Calcio pic.twitter.com/HfEgRH78p8— Football Italia (@footballitalia) May 26, 2025 Consequently, Roma issued an official statement.”AS Roma announces that, following today’s match, a regrettable incident occurred involving player Nicolo Zaniolo.””According to initial reconstructions, the player allegedly entered the Primavera team’s dressing room after the match and engaged in provocative behavior towards some of the Giallorossi youth players. During the confrontation, two players from the Primavera squad were reportedly physically struck.””AS Roma cannot but firmly condemn any form of aggressive conduct or behavior that does not align with the values of sport.”##EDITORS_CHOICE##On the other hand, the player’s version of the event is entirely different, as described in Fiorentina’s official statement, reported by Football Italia.”At the end of the match, I went into the locker room to congratulate the Fiorentina lads, then passed through the Roma room to salute and compliment them on their season.””However, at a certain point they started to insult me, so at that stage, to avoid the situation degenerating, I preferred to simply leave.”Still, according to Sky Sport Italia, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has already opened an investigation regarding the issue.If Zaniolo was found guilty for the assault, the inevitable punishment would reportedly be extremely severe.##NAJAVA_MECA_8953698##
