Fiorentina deny Inter criticism

Fiorentina released a statement denying any criticism of Inter after vice-president Paolo Panerai called for the Serie A club to be relegated for allegedly breaching transfer regulations in their pursuit of Mohamed Salah.

Panerai sent a series of tweets via an unverified Twitter account on Sunday, demanding transparency from Inter in regards to Chelsea’s Salah, who could face legal action after refusing to return to Fiorentina for a second loan spell amid a possible move to Milan.

Inter reacted angrily to Panerai’s social media attack and Fiorentina quickly distanced themselves from the board member’s comments.

“ACF Fiorentina wishes to clarify that recent comments made by board member Paolo Panerai are his own personal views and not those of the club,” the statement read.

Panerai sparked controversy when he launched two separate Twitter rants on Sunday and hit out at Inter, who are reportedly set to prise Salah away from Stamford Bridge.

He started off by tweeting: “Dear Giovanni [Malago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee], Salah is the final straw. We can no longer tolerate that signatures and rules are worth less than zero.

“If football clubs were to respect transparency rules, then Inter would already have been relegated. Whose money is it being used, is it starting from the Cayman Islands?

“[UEFA president] Michel Platini knows that Inter have broken the Uefa Fair Play rules. For Salah and other players who cost millions. This is the chance to make an example of them.”

Panerai returned to Twitter hours later in wake of Inter’s dismayed response and added: “Inter say nobody dare, nobody dare. I personally will dare and again demand transparency, just like the Corriere della Sera and the Gazzetta dello Sport. From the Cayman Islands…

“Inter say that Salah is not an issue that concerns them. Good. I’ll be very happy to give them credit for that at the end of the story.

“Meanwhile, Fiorentina sent a legal warning.”