ROME, 20 October 2003 — Roma maintained their unbeaten run and kept the pressure on league leaders Juventus with a 2-0 win over Parma here yesterday.

Argentine defender Walter Samuel’s left-foot strike gave Roma the lead before Antonio Cassano’s towering header secured victory for Fabio Capello’s men.

Roma have taken 14 points from their six matches played, two less than Juve who won at Ancona on Saturday.

Capello said he was happy with the result but not with way a small section of the home support who jeered Olivier Dacourt.

Roma’s tenacious French midfielder was targeted for saying he would not be willing to take a pay cut to help Roma ease their money problems.

“Dacourt had a magnificent match and deserves applause for what he has given to the team, not abuse,” Capello said.

“He had a great game just as the rest of the team did. Parma are a compact team who are never easy to break down, but we played with patience and intelligence.”

Roma’s Daniele de Rossi, who set up both goals, said he was delighted to have forced his way into the team he supported as a young boy.

“I’m lucky because I play in my city for my team,” said the exciting 20-year-old midfielder. “I feel a little tired but overall I’m happy with my performance.”

Roma, who booked their place in the second round of the UEFA Cup on Wednesday, missed a string of gilt-edged chances before going ahead in the 29th minute at the Olympic stadium.

De Rossi found space wide on the left and delivered a low cross into the penalty box for Samuel whose low drive beat Sebastien Frey at the near post.

Roma doubled their advantage just after the hour, crossing from out on the right for Cassano who planted a firm header across Frey and into the far corner.

Bologna’s Fausto Rossini went from villain to hero in his side’s draw at home to Perugia.

The 25-year-old striker turned into his own net to give Perugia a 1-0 lead but made amends by grabbing Bologna’s second goal in a 2-2 draw.

Reggina defeated Siena 2-1 in Calabria for their first win of the season. Junior Mozart and Julio Cesar Leon scored for Reggina, while Tore Andre Flo scored a stoppage-time consolation goal for the Tuscans.

In the day’s other matches Modena and Udinese both chalked up 2-0 wins over Lecce and Empoli respectively, while Chievo were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Sampdoria.

On Saturday Inter Milan fought back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw at Brescia.

Christian Vieri netted an 87th minute penalty to earn a share of the spoils, but a point was not enough to save coach Hector Cuper, who was fired early yesterday and replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni.

Cuper paid the price for Inter’s poor start to the season in which they have just nine points from a possible 18. Zaccheroni guided AC Milan to the Italian league title in 1999.

Spurs Comeback Stuns Leicester, Villa Hold City

Tottenham Hotspur stole a barely deserved 2-1 victory at bottom club Leicester City yesterday to continue their improved run under caretaker-manager David Pleat.

A 79th-minute goal by South African substitute Mbulelo Mabizela on his debut and a last-minute winner from Frederic Kanoute turned the match on its head after a Kasey Keller blunder allowed Paul Dickov to give Leicester a first-half lead.

The win meant Spurs jumped to 11th in the English Premier League table on 11 points, while Leicester remained a point adrift at the bottom on five points.

In yesterday’s early game Birmingham City and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw in the midlands derby at St. Andrews.

The point meant Birmingham went fourth in the table on 16 points, four adrift of third-placed Chelsea who were beaten 2-1 by leaders Arsenal (23) on Saturday.

Second-placed champions Manchester United (22) won 1-0 at Leeds on Saturday.

FIFA Congress Approves New Nationality Statutes

In Doha, an extraordinary FIFA Congress gave unaimous approval yesterday to a statutes that will allow young players with dual nationality to switch countries.

It also extended FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s term in office by another year to 2007.

During a brisk first two hours of business, the meeting, attended by all 204 member associations of FIFA for the first time, approved a new consitution for world soccer’s governing body.

“This is wonderful,” said Blatter. “Thank you.”

Two of the chief changes in the statutes permit young players who have played for one country to change later to another provided they did not appear in a full senior international match and they held dual nationality.

He cited Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Caribbean as the places from which many players with dual nationality are drawn to play for France, Belgium and other European nations.

Now, he said, they could return to their origins to play for another association provided they had not made a full appearance for their ‘adopted’ or second country.

The extension of Blatter’s period in office was approved to ensure that FIFA presidential elections will not in future take place in the same year as World Cup finals.