Absolutely not. This was a meritless complaint that offends the spirit of sport. It reminds me of players who fake contact to draw a foul or roll on the ground after contact to draw a caution. It’s simply disgraceful. If I were a Palermo man I’d be embarrassed.

The rules were technically breached as Palermo stated, because the player is supposed to place the ball in the corner arc and not the ball boy but that is no excuse and anyone who has watched Roma at home will have seen them use the quick corner on a regular basis and often to great effect.

It is a great tactic that continually catches team unaware - in both Serie A and the Champions League - but in England, the wise heads at the Premier League and FA have outlawed the use of the multiball system, so the same ball that went out of play must be used for the corner. If the ball is lost, only the fourth official has access to the spare balls and he will promplty send one out. I find it ironic that in Europe’s most frenetic league, the league played at the greatest pace, there is no allowance to get the ball in play as quickly as possible and thereby continue the rapid flow of play.

[…] Last month Palermo wanted a 1-0 defeat at AS Roma overturned or replayed because a ballboy had broken the rules by placing the ball on the corner spot, allowing Roma to take a quick corner from which Mancini scored. The Italian league quickly rejected their appeal.  […]