Retired Brazil international Paulo Roberto Falcao has discussed the rivalry between Juventus and his former club Roma and how he believes it started.
The 60-year-old played in Rome for five years between 1980 and 1985 and chose to comment on Mattia Destro’s three-match ban, which some have suggested was given to the young forward to benefit Juve in the title race.
Destro, a Roma forward, was handed the suspension after clashing with Cagliari’s Davide Astori off the ball but Falcao doesn’t believe it can be compared to a situation which occurred in the 1980/81 season.
Falcao spoke to ANSA and said: “The rivalry between Roma and Juventus was born in the 1980s, when I was playing for Roma.
“What triggered it was the goal unjustly ruled out for Maurizio Turone.”
The incident Falcao refers to was where Turone incorrectly had a goal disallowed for offside in a game which ended 0-0 and – with that match being the third from last of the season, plus Juventus going on to win the league by one point – many felt it was unjust.
The former Brazil midfielder doesn’t believe Destro’s suspension is down to a similar unjust decision though.
He was quoted by Football Italia as saying: “You can not compare Destro’s suspenstion to that (Turone incident), they are in two completely different contexts.
“The championship is pretty much decided, but Roma has a duty to continue to believe in it, because they are a very strong team.
“Juventus are a club with great tradition, just like Roma.”
