Roma sporting director Monchi has issued a plea to the club's supporters ahead of their Champions League clash with Liverpool, urging them to prove that they are not violent.
Security measures for the semi-final second leg have been ramped up due to the ugly scenes that marred the first leg in Merseyside, ahead of which a Reds fan was left in a coma after being set upon by away supporters.
Roma president Jim Pallotta immediately condemned the perpetrators in the wake of the incident, and now Monchi has called on supporters to portray the club in a better light on Wednesday evening.
"We are facing a unique game," the Liverpool Echo quotes him as saying. "The history of this team says only twice before have we had this possibility – in 1984 and now.
"I'd like Rome to be decked out in yellow and red, and for all the fans to hang banners on their balconies to show the world that Rome supports Roma.
"There's a lot of talk about violence right now, so let's show everyone that Roma fans are not violent."
Liverpool head into the match in the Italian capital with a 5-2 lead from the first leg.
Mark Langshaw
