Roma sacks CEO after probe into transfer deals

Roma, which is in third place in the Italian top flight, said in a brief statement that it had “terminated all relations” with Berardi “with immediate effect.”

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: Roma has denied any wrongdoing and said it was “cooperating with the competent authorities and hopes that full clarity will be provided on the matter as soon as possible”. | Photo Credit: AIFF

AS Roma said on Monday it has sacked chief executive Pietro Berardi, a decision taken days after prosecutors seized documents at the Serie A club as part of a probe into possible financial irregularities in transfer deals.

Roma, which is in third place in the Italian top flight, said in a brief statement that it had “terminated all relations” with Berardi “with immediate effect.”

They did not give a reason.

On April 5, prosecutors seized documents at Roma and Lazio, their city rivals, and fellow Serie A club Salernitana in swoops related to aspects of transfer deals at all three clubs, including the methods used to set transaction prices.

Roma has denied any wrongdoing and said it was “cooperating with the competent authorities and hopes that full clarity will be provided on the matter as soon as possible”.

The investigations follow a probe launched by prosecutors in Turin into alleged false accounting on player transfers that in January led a sports court to dock Juventus, Italy’s most successful soccer club, 15 points.