Referees are disrespecting fans, says Roma chief Sensi

AS Roma owner Rosella Sensi took a swipe at referees after her team's under-performing stars fell to their fifth defeat in eight Serie A matches with a 3-1 loss at Udinese.

Antonio Di Natale scored the first Udinese goal on 10 minutes from the penalty spot after Max Tonetto was adjudged to have brought down Antonio Floro Flores in the box.

Television replays showed that Tonetto caught Floro Flores just outside the box but momentum took both players into the area.

Sensi also felt Roma should have had a first half penalty when Mirko Vucinic went down after seemingly minimal contact. He was booked for diving, although TV replays showed he had been caught on the ankle.

The Roma owner said nothing, though, about the penalty awarded to Roma in the second half, from which Francesco Totti scored their consolation, when Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic clearly got to the ball ahead of Matteo Brighi.

“We're not making excuses, but certain huge mistakes are damaging Roma. Most of all they (the referees) are disrespecting our fans,” she fumed.

“As far as the team is concerned we're going to go off (to prepare for Wednesday's home game with Sampdoria). We will show honour for the jersey and respect for our fans.

“I'm sorry to say it, it's not in my nature, but the penalty given to Udinese and the one we were denied where Vucinic was booked show a lack of professionalism.”

But despite Sensi's complaints, the facts speak for themselves.

Roma have the worst defensive record in the league and sit 15th in the 20 team table, just one point above the drop zone.

Their defence against Udinese was terrible as two goals from Di Natale and one from Floro Flores put the hosts out of sight long before Totti's goal.

Simone Loria made a horrendous error for the second goal, dallying under a high ball and allowing Floro Flores to make up five yards on him and beat him to the ball before rounding goalkeeper Doni and slotting into the empty net.

Coach Luciano Spalletti was so unimpressed that he hauled Loria off at half-time and put central midfielder Daniele De Rossi in his place, although he was then at fault for the third goal.

For a team that should be challenging for the title, Roma find themselves 10 points behind new leaders Udinese, and more importantly also champions Inter Milan.

Spalletti refused to be drawn too much on the penalty controversies, admitting that the bigger problem was his team's failure to cut out their mistakes.

“The penalty against us and the second goal halfway through the first period had an influence (on the result) but we have to take responsibility,” he said.

“(The referee) gave a foul and then the linesman flagged for a penalty.

“Certainly these episodes were not favourable to us but the point is the team is slow and lacking concentration.

“Given that we're not getting any better, we're still in the same position.

“Other than those individual incidents, we have to find a way to explain to them (the players) what to do to cut out the same mistakes because we absolutely have to get out of this (situation).

“We're having a terrible time of it. We started badly and we've gone backwards and aren't managing to improve.”

Roma have lost their last three league matches and have also started badly in the Champions League, losing two of their first three games.