The Viola have accused the Nerazzurri of operating without any transparency and ignoring Uefa’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations
Inter have angrily retorted to Fiorentina vice-president Paolo Panerai’s claim the club should already have been relegated for breaking transfer rules.
The Viola are upset that Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah, who arrived at the Artemio Franchi on an 18-month loan deal in January, has refused to report for pre-season training and formally requested a move to another club.
Salah is keen on a switch to Serie A rivals Inter, much to the annoyance of Panerai, who has called on Uefa to sanction the Nerazzurri for allegedly breaking the governing body’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, as well as questioning the origin of the money the San Siro side intend to use to acquire the Egypt international.
Those claims have prompted an angry response from Inter, who intend to go as far as possible to defend their reputation.
“Inter has read with great astonishment the comments made by the Fiorentina vice-president on his personal Twitter account,” read a statement released on the Nerazzurri’s official website.
“It is not acceptable for anybody to talk out of turn about our club, casting doubt over its solidity and transparency.
“It is not acceptable for anybody to offend our club and, as a consequence, our fans, with comments that are utterly lacking in foundation.
“Inter’s dismayed by the request for exemplary sporting action to be taken against the club, given that it and many other clubs has just signed a public agreement with Uefa to respect the FFP regulations.
“Given that Fiorentina is clearly attempting to involve Inter in a matter that doesn’t concern it, in order to cover up a problem between Fiorentina and the player Mohamed Salah, Inter will make recourse to any authority necessary in order to protect its image and integrity.”
Fiorentina have already expressed their willingness to take legal action against Salah, a threat which the forward’s agent described as “pathetic”.