Napoli’s match against Roma may yet carry consequences beyond the result after Massimiliano Allegri’s dismissal and subsequent outburst placed the club, its coach and the federal authorities under scrutiny.
The Napoli manager was sent off during the game, with the events surrounding that decision included in the referee’s report for the sporting judge. Allegri is therefore expected to receive a suspension for the red card, while the scale of any further punishment remains to be established.
Federal prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné attended the match at the Maradona in person, an unusual presence which underlined the sensitivity of the occasion. The prosecutor’s office is considering whether to launch its own disciplinary procedure immediately or wait for the sporting judge’s decision. Those two paths can still run alongside one another.
Post-match comments may bring a separate case
The sporting judge deals with matters arising during the match itself. Remarks made after the final whistle fall instead within the remit of the federal prosecutor.
Allegri was reported to have continued shouting in the dressing-room area after his dismissal, with the possibility that further comments could be noted in the official report. His words were heard by journalists waiting for the press conferences as well as other people inside the stadium.
In a reference to Roma’s Champions League prospects, Allegri said that the place had effectively been handed to them, adding that he had “paid the price with Milan” and repeatedly pointing at Roma. The comments could expose the Napoli coach to a fine, depending on the disciplinary assessment and any clarification he provides.
Chiné is expected to examine the sporting judge’s ruling first, including the inevitable ban linked to the sending-off, before deciding whether a financial sanction or further action is appropriate.
Roma await clarification
Roma have been unsettled by Allegri’s remarks and are waiting to see how the authorities proceed. Gian Piero Gasperini was particularly disappointed by the suggestion, given that Roma finished third last season. Como, coached by Cesc Fabregas, were fourth, although Allegri did not mention them during his outburst.
At Trigoria, the statements are regarded as serious and unacceptable. Roma want the competent bodies to establish what happened and would welcome an explanation from Allegri at his next media appearance.
The hope is that Napoli’s coach will acknowledge that the episode came in a moment of anger and poor judgement. Allegri himself had already conceded in his television interview that he was not in the right state to comment, saying that after 25 years in football, he could be wrong on this occasion.
