AS Roma are totally
upset over the loss of Brazilian winger Malcom as his transfer to Roma was
hijacked by FC Barcelona. AS Roma president James Pallotta said he would only
accept the Spanish giants' apology if they give them their superstar, Lionel
Messi. AS Roma had reached an agreement with French club Bordeaux for the
transfer of Malcom and had announced the arrival of the player in Rome for the
signing of the deal. They were left stunned as Bordeaux rather accepted
Barcelona's offer. Malcom signed with the Catalans less than 48 hours after
Bordeaux announced their agreement with Roma over Malcom's sale.
Roma
president Palotta had a lot to say on the subject in an interview with Sirus
XM.
"In terms of Barcelona, it looks like a pattern for them over the last
few years of doing things that just should not be done at a club with the
reputation that Barcelona intends to have," Pallotta said, as quoted by
his club's website.
"In fact, they apologized for their actions and how they went about
things. I don't accept the apology.
"The only way I'll accept it is on either one of two conditions:
one, they give the player to us. That's obviously not going to happen.
"Two, maybe as a goodwill gesture at the very least they could send
us Messi!
"I think in this case the player wanted to come to us. I think a
lot of clubs were interested in him but did not want to bother him because
maybe they did not think they had a shot at him in terms of the timing.
"We had a guy over there talking with the player in person. The deal
was done.
"I have zero problem battling it out for a player with another big
club, if we are all going through the same process trying to get him. That's
the way it works.
"But, at the end of the day, when the deal is done and completely
agreed… we all know how it works, the kid comes in for a medical and then it is
signed.
"Other teams know not to come in and do what Barcelona did.
Bordeaux should never have done what they did – the legal side will come later,
but it is immoral and unethical too."
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