Bove agent: ‘Roma tried to force him to accept Nottingham Forest’

Edoardo Bove’s agent has named the figure at Roma he blames for ‘trying to force him to accept a Nottingham Forest move’ before the Fiorentina transfer.

The midfielder’s future in Italy is now in serious doubt, because he received an implanted defibrillator after his collapse during the game against Inter and current Serie A rules forbid players from participating in professional sport with this kind of cardiac condition.

The situation was very different over the summer, as revealed by agent Diego Tavano in an interview with the Corriere dello Sport.

“It was a tough summer. I had a very good rapport with Daniele De Rossi, who told me that Bove could stay, but would have a lot of competition for places. I noted it had to be the season of his consecration, so it was important for him to get regular playing time.

“After that is where the former CEO of Roma started pressuring hard for him to leave.”

The former CEO is Lina Souloukou, who resigned in September just days after she was publicly blamed for the decision to fire coach De Rossi.

“It all reached a head on August 30, when she wanted to push him to accept the sale to Nottingham Forest for €8m. There was also the idea of a loan to Olympiacos from Nottingham, but I considered that transfer value to be far below his real worth.

“We fought hard and I reassured her, I would find a situation to suit everyone and get more money for the club. That solution for us was only Fiorentina. De Rossi, in any case, always advised the club to give Edo away with an option to bring him back.”

Bove resisted Roma pressure and chose Fiorentina

The 22-year-old joined Fiorentina on loan for €1.5m with an option to buy for €10.5m that would become an obligation if he appeared in 60 per cent of their matches this season.

Bove had been doing very well for the Viola, contributing one goal and four assists in 14 games between Serie A and the Conference League.

Following his collapse on the pitch at the Stadio Franchi, Bove has been enveloped by a wave of affection from the world of football.

“The Roma supporters loved him unconditionally even after he moved,” continued agent Tavano.

“Of course, he didn’t want to leave Roma, he wanted to become an icon for the club. He emptied out his locker and we cried all the way to the station when getting the train. However, we knew it was the right choice, because Edo always considered Florence to be a city full of passion.”