Roma owner James Pallotta fined after celebrating Barcelona win in fountain dip
Pallotta has also pledged to donate £200,000 towards the restoration of the fountain
Thursday 12 April 2018 10:34, UK
Roma president James Pallotta has agreed to pay a fine of 450 euros [£392] after jumping into a fountain to celebrate their win over Barcelona.
The city of Rome was alive with celebration following their 3-0 win over the Spanish side to make the semi-finals on away goals and Pallotta was no exception as he took a dip in the Piazza de Popolo fountain.
Pallotta has now apologised to the Mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, and has pledged to donate more than £200,000 towards the restoration of the fountain.
Speaking after his [pre-scheduled] meeting with Raggi on Wednesday he said: "I thank the mayor for a well-deserved fine of 450 euros.
"I got caught up in the euphoria of the moment and I think it was an incredible night. To be clear, I do not want to encourage anyone to jump into the fountain, unless you want to fix it.
"And to demonstrate this I've decided to donate 230,000 euros (£200,000) to restore the fountain in front of the Pantheon. Love this city like me, do not dive into fountains unless you want to contribute to their restoration."
Pallotta joined legions of fans in the city centre where cars were rocked and scarves were thrown from the windows.
Even the Italian media widely celebrated at the Stadio Olimpico, having witnessed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Champions League history.
Roma will find out their semi-final opponents on Friday at 12pm BST when the draw takes place at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. Follow coverage on Sky Sports News.
Click the video above to watch the Roma owner James Pallotta celebrating in the Piazza del Popolo fountain...
