Palermo cry foul over ball boy

Serie A side Palermo are looking to have Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Roma overturned or the match replayed due to the actions of…

Serie A side Palermo are looking to have Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Roma overturned or the match replayed due to the actions of a ball boy.

Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini told reporters the ball boy had returned the ball to Roma too quickly at a corner kick, which led to Mancini's headed winner.

"I have dispatched my lawyers and I have asked for a 3-0 win or at least for the match to be replayed," Zamparini said.     "We have read the rules - the ball boys must stay behind the advertising boards and throw the ball to the nearest player. What happened on Saturday is against the rules."

Roma are second in the league while Palermo have lost four in a row in all competitions and slipped to ninth.

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The Italian game has been hit by a number of controversial refereeing decisions recently. Some clubs have said the current crop of match officials, whittled down by the 2006 match-fixing scandal, are too young and lack experience.