THE vice-president of the Italian football federation claims he is stunned by suggestions that Rome could lose the Champions League final following crowd trouble during Roma's victory against Chelsea on Tuesday.
Reports suggest that UEFA president Michel Platini is reconsidering the plan to host the final of Europe's premier club competition in Roma's Stadio Olimpico after violence marred the Giallorossi's 3-1 win.
Platini had already warned that any more violent incidents could see the Italian capital stripped of one of football's major showcase events.
However, FIGC vice-president Demetrio Albertini is confident the final will go ahead in Italy as planned, having heard nothing to the contrary.
"I don't know where these declarations have come from and if he said that exactly," he told Marca.com.
"But it would really surprise me because we spent the whole day together and he showed himself to be delighted at all times by how we are working on everything that concerns the organisation of the final.
"Platini was very honest and he never warned us of anything like that."
Two years ago, three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed in Rome while in April last year, 11 Manchester United supporters were hospitalised due to incidents before their semi-final first leg.
Last December, seven United supporters were taken to hospital after the two sides met again in the group phase but their quarter-final this April passed without problems.
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Platini had already warned that any more violent incidents could see the Italian capital stripped of one of football's major showcase events.
However, FIGC vice-president Demetrio Albertini is confident the final will go ahead in Italy as planned, having heard nothing to the contrary.
"I don't know where these declarations have come from and if he said that exactly," he told Marca.com.
"But it would really surprise me because we spent the whole day together and he showed himself to be delighted at all times by how we are working on everything that concerns the organisation of the final.
"Platini was very honest and he never warned us of anything like that."
Two years ago, three Middlesbrough fans were stabbed in Rome while in April last year, 11 Manchester United supporters were hospitalised due to incidents before their semi-final first leg.
Last December, seven United supporters were taken to hospital after the two sides met again in the group phase but their quarter-final this April passed without problems.
ends
Copyright (c) Press Association
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