Roma and Lazio await approval

Italian football authorities will decide this week on the fate of 23 clubs, including AS Roma and S.S. Lazio, whose financial situation leaves them facing possible exclusion from the forthcoming season.

Improved budget needed
The clubs had until 19.00CET today to provide the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) with documents showing an improved budget to the one that led Covisoc, Italian football's finance authority, to last week reject their applications to participate in the 2002/03 campaign when it gets under way next month.

Friday meeting
It was expected that the two Serie A sides, along with the six Serie B clubs and 15 teams from Serie C affected, would provide the documents and all clubs, with the possible exception of AC Fiorentina, were confident their new budgets will be accepted when the FIGC meets on Friday.

No doubt in Rome
Roman clubs Lazio and Roma are certain they will be in action on 1 September. "We have presented all the necessary papers," Lazio official Giancarlo Guerra said. "Our registration for the championship has never been in any doubt."

Debt resolved
A spokesman for Roma said that the club's debt to the FIGC had been resolved and therefore there was no reason why the team should not participate in the upcoming season.