Striker Stephane El Shaarawy cried after scoring the decisive goal in Roma’s win over Monza this Sunday. Following the meeting, the football player for the first time commented on the fact that he was involved in a bookmaking scandal in Italy.
“These speculations have hurt me, but I have a 100 percent clear conscience. It hurts to hear this untruth,” the player said in statements quoted by the publication. Sky Sports.
El Shaarawy’s goal in the 90th minute gave Roma, coached by Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, a 1-0 victory over Monza in the ninth round of the Italian Football League.
“How can you think of disrespecting football when this sport offers us such emotions as scoring goals and celebrating with the fans? This is one of the most beautiful emotions. This is what I always thought about: playing and having fun,” he assured.
This Thursday, the club, in a statement, condemned the “repeated speculation” surrounding El Shaarawy and defender Zalewski. And this Saturday, coach Jose Mourinho defended the two athletes, complaining about the “damage to the image of the players if they are not guilty.”
Last Saturday newspaper Corriere dello Sport revealed the involvement of football players Fagioli, Zaniolo, Tonali and Zalewski in a “secret betting network” whose center of operations was WhatsApp. This Tuesday, the Italian Football Federation suspended the first player, the Juventus midfielder, for seven months.