AS Roma president apologizes for Rome fountain "victory dip"

ROME, April 11 (Xinhua) -- AS Roma President James Pallotta on Wednesday apologized to Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi for taking a "victory dip" in one of the historic fountains, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

In videos posted on Twitter on Tuesday night, Pallotta could be seen tumbling joyously into the Fountain of the Lions in the central Piazza del Popolo, surrounded by delirious Roma fans.

They were celebrating one of the greatest feats in their club's history: Tuesday's stunning 3-0 win over Barcelona that saw them reaching the Champions League semi-finals, reversing a 4-1 defeat from the first leg.

On Wednesday, Pallotta reportedly called the city mayor to apologize for his fountain dip, assuring her he would pay whatever fine was expected. The mayor later said that Pallotta wishes to donate 230,000 euros (about 285,000 U.S. dollars) to renovate a fountain facing the Pantheon, ANSA reported.

The round, domed building from the first century AD is one of the most iconic sights in Rome, along with the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain. Enditem