Nainggolan Will Not Be Called Up To Play Vs Atalanta – Eusebio Di Francesco

Radja Nainggolan has been dropped for their clash with Atalanta on Saturday after breaking club rules on New Year’s Eve.

“Before you ask me about Radja, I’ll tell you about it,” Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco said at the start of a news conference on Friday. “What I have to say is important, but the game against Atalanta is even more important.

“Given the club’s policies, and these are completely shared by me, and shared and accepted — and I repeat the word ‘accepted’ — by the player, who will not be called up to play Atalanta tomorrow.

“This is down to him breaking a kind of conduct which has got to be constant for everybody at AS Roma or anybody who represents AS Roma, who makes determined errors, which are unacceptable.

“Anybody who makes a mistake, even minimally, will pay in the same way. This is our policy. All I will say is that Radja will not be called up.”

Di Francesco added that Nainggolan had not just stepped marginally out of line, but overstepped it by a considerable distance, while he condemned his conduct.

“I’ve never experienced a situation like this before, no,” he said. “Radja knows what he’s done. Furthermore, if somebody comes and takes a picture of you doing something [wrong], that’s one thing, but filming yourself doing it is even worse.

“We all know he’s taking responsibility. Football now is different and the way of thinking is different; players think differently and coaches think differently.”