Roma star Nicolò Zaniolo is about to become a father, but his ex-girlfriend accused the Italy international of blocking her messages and providing no ‘support of any kind.’
He had been with Sara Scaperrotta for several years, but when she discovered that she was pregnant, he insisted that the relationship had been petering out anyway.
The 22-year-old explained to the media at the time that he would provide full support and be involved in the baby’s life, but that doesn’t seem to be the way it panned out.
“Tommaso is the product of the love of two people,” wrote Sara on her Instagram Stories just days before she is due to give birth.
“He was wanted, desired and the discovery of his arrival was celebrated in an atmosphere of shared joy. Then something changed and I suddenly found myself travelling towards parenthood alone, without support of any kind.
“While at first I felt fear at doing this alone and the baby missing out on a paternal figure, it quickly became disappointment, because Nicolò is missing all these emotions, discoveries, mixture of joy and fear, all of the things you experience during a pregnancy.
“This is why I tried many times to get him involved, without success. He even blocked me from his social media channels and Whatsapp, so I faced a brick wall.
“It was never my intention to complain or make a spectacle out of this moment, as my only objective is to ensure the best for Tommaso and a support network he can call a family.
“I hope that the walls are knocked down and that Nicolò can finally find the courage to emancipate himself, to open his heart as a father and enjoy all the emotions of being a parent.”
Zaniolo is back in training after recovering from his second serious knee injury in under a year and eager to begin his Roma career with new coach Jose Mourinho.
He would’ve been part of the Italy squad for UEFA EURO 2020 if not for the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he sustained in September 2020.
The player turned 22 last month and had until recently been in the Italian headlines for his high-profile romance with a social media influencer.