Nicolo Zaniolo has apologised for not owning up to a handball that earned Roma a 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday
Roma were trailing 2-1 until the last few minutes, when the referee deemed an Athletic player to have blocked a cross with their arm.
Replays showed it hit Zaniolo, but the Italy starlet refused to confess and Lorenzo Pellegrini equalised from the penalty spot, despite protests from the Giallorossi’s opponents.
“I made a mistake in Perugia this evening,” the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram.
Nicolo Zaniolo has apologised for not owning up to a handball that earned Roma a 2-2 draw with Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday
Roma were trailing 2-1 until the last few minutes, when the referee deemed an Athletic player to have blocked a cross with their arm.
Replays showed it hit Zaniolo, but the Italy starlet refused to confess and Lorenzo Pellegrini equalised from the penalty spot, despite protests from the Giallorossi’s opponents.
“I made a mistake in Perugia this evening,” the 20-year-old wrote on Instagram.
“In the heat of the moment I didn’t have the clarity of thought to understand what happened in the opposing box and I reacted badly to the questions of my opponents, who asked me if I’d touched the ball with my hand at the time of the contact.
“I’ve already apologised to the referee and I also feel obliged to do so to my opponents and fans.”
Zaniolo apologies on his Instagram account for his reaction after yesterday’s last penalty in Perugia.
✍ "I apologised to the referee, but I feel I also have to say sorry to the opponent and the supporters".
Well done, Nicolò! #RomaAthletic pic.twitter.com/PpNy0Ndg0m
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) August 8, 2019