With the Italian Serie A due to commence this weekend, presidents representing two of the country's biggest clubs have been going head to head over the sale of the former Roma 'keeper Alisson to Liverpool.
Bought by Liverpool for a record-breaking fee this summer, the president of Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, sparked some consternation when he suggested earlier today that the club from the Italian capital were in secret cahoots with the English giants.
#Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis sensationally claims #ASRoma and #LiverpoolFC "have the same owner" and cut him out of the race for Alisson. Mauro Baldissoni replies he's "hanging out with bad birds" https://t.co/7G5zPfgP2b #LFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/xpbTvzuDy3
— footballitalia (@footballitalia) August 17, 2018
Sensationally claiming that Roma and Liverpool were owned by the same person, and, as a result, it was no surprise that Napoli had been unsuccessful in their bid for the Brazilian 'keeper, the Roma president has issued a provocative retort to the accusations.
Taking to the club's Twitter account to share his thoughts on this claim, the Roma president James Pallotta was taking things in his stride.
Pallotta: ‘What do you think @ADeLaurentiis is smoking over there in Naples? If he finds that little bird again, he’ll find out we also own Barca and Bayern’ 🐦
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) August 17, 2018
Suggesting that the Napoli president was perhaps listening to the wrong people, the comments did immediately draw up memories of tweets gone by.
In 2013, after Arsenal launched their £40 million plus £1 bid for Liverpool's Luis Suarez, the Liverpool owner John Henry famously tweeted.
What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?
— John W. Henry (@John_W_Henry) July 24, 2013
A bizarre coincidence, some incredible trolling from James Pallotta, or the work of an imaginative club twitter account? All ends are possible.
Speaking out about the comments on Italian radio today was Roma's managing director, Mauro Baldissoni.
Claiming that De Laurentiis was perhaps listening to the "wrong birds" in Naples, it certainly does make for an interesting story at the start of another Serie A season.
The managing director spoke to @RomaRadio📻 this morning about the new season and a rather bizarre claim... 🐦
➡️ https://t.co/ocbFpZAK8M pic.twitter.com/tdf61KETF4— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) August 17, 2018
