AS Roma coach Zdenek Zeman is happy to needle the authorities.

Zeman has always been known for his direct criticism of officials and anticipated many of the Calciopoli themes, but has clearly lost none of his disdain for authority.

"It's not me who is an irritant for the establishment, it's Roma," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The club is not included in the group that counts for political weight. In order to get into the top teams, we have to work better than the others on the field and earn power.

"The referees can whistle two or three big decisions against you, but if you score five goals..."