Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini is furious with Newcastle United over their capture of Fabio Zamblera in January.

Zamparini has hit out at the practice of signing young players who are yet to become professionals and offering little or no compensation as "like pirates taking treasure."

"It's a shame that they opt for the youngsters when they have the means to buy them when they are fully developed," the Rosanero chief roared on BBC Radio Five Live.

"These clubs already have the best players in the world. It is wrong to rob these young stars from other clubs who live off growing talent.

"It means that a club like Palermo take on a boy when he is 12-years-old, he progresses through the youth academy, then when he gets to 16 or 17 and can sign his first professional deal, he gets taken away.

"The club that raised the player gets nothing. This is profoundly wrong. First of all you're harming the boys who are not ready to go to a different country and economically they are seriously harming the clubs in question."