On May 2, after a Champions League semifinal match between AS Roma and Liverpool, Roma owner James Pallotta blasted the referees with accusations of bias. The American billionaire called the officials embarrassing and claimed they had cost him and Roma a place to face Real Madrid in the final. Roma won 4-2, but Liverpool went to the final on a 7-6 aggregate victory.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, CEDB, suspended Pallotta for three months on Friday. The suspension means the owner and chairman of Roma cannot enter the technical area or communicate in anyway with the players and/or technical staff during a UEFA competitive match, meaning Champions League or Europa League.
Pallotta is also banned from accessing the team’s dressing room and the tunnel before or during a match.
Now that Alisson Becker finally moved to Liverpool after a record-breaking transfer, Pallotta might want to spend the next three months searching for an alternative goalie.
Live scenes in Rome show Roma's owner James Pallotta practicing in goal to replace Alisson. pic.twitter.com/dwP8Ij1mXw
— Raffaele (@ItalianoCalcio) July 19, 2018
After the semifinal on May 2, the Bostonian commented fumingly on the refereeing quality whilst urging the introduction of VAR in the Champions League.
“I know it is difficult to referee but it is really embarrassing that we lose on aggregate like that,” Pallotta said. “Liverpool are a great team, congratulations going forward, but if they don’t get VAR in the Champions League, stuff like this is an absolute joke.”
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin shut out the expectation of video assistant referees, VAR, in the Champions League and the Europa League for the next season. The VAR issue continues to be a controversial initiative in the officiation of football; the Russia World Cup saw a few moments of video refereeing controversy.
After Roma beat Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, and by beat I mean destroyed their hopes and dreams, Pallotta threw himself in a fountain. The comeback was worth celebrating and definitely worth issuing an official apology to the mayor of Rome.
#Roma president, James Pallotta, throwing himself in the fountain of Piazza del Popolo with fans going crazy pic.twitter.com/ErY9rzZuJJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 10, 2018
Pallotta, who also co-owns the NBA’s Boston Celtics, remains persistent in VAR’s Champions League introduction.
“VAR must come into the Champions League," he said. "I don’t understand why there is no VAR in the most important competition.”
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