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AS Roma donate €150k to help fund medical costs for injured Liverpool fan Sean Cox

AS Roma and club president Jim Pallotta have made a combined donation of €150,000 to a trust fund set up to help the family of Liverpool fan Sean Cox with his medical and rehabilitation costs.

Cox was left in critical condition following an attack outside Anfield on April 24 before the two sides met in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.

The 53-year-old father of three, from Dunboyne in Ireland, has started a rehabilitation programme after he suffered a bleed on the brain as a result of the attack.

Roma supporter Filippo Lombardi was last month jailed for three years for "violent disorder" over the attack, but found not guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm to Cox.

Daniele Sciusco, 29, admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two-and-a-half years in August, while Merseyside Police helped forces in Rome to arrest a 30-year-old man, who now faces extradition to the U.K.

Roma announced on Thursday they would donate €100,000 through the Roma Cares foundation, while Pallotta is to make a personal donation of €50,000, to the Sean Cox Rehabilitation Trust.

"Today's announcement comes after club officials flew to Ireland on Friday to meet with Sean's wife Martina and representatives helping to manage the family's fundraising efforts," a statement read. "Having offered an initial financial donation, Roma have also agreed to work with the Cox family on further fundraising initiatives that will help cover ongoing costs for Sean over a multi-year period."

Pallotta said: "What happened to Sean Cox should never happen to anyone attending a football match. Our thoughts today, as they have been from day one, are with Sean, Martina and their whole family. We all hope Sean makes as full a recovery as possible."

Mrs Cox said: "Our life has been turned upside down by what has happened to Sean. There is no sign of Sean being able to return home any time soon and even with extensive specialist rehabilitation efforts, which will take years, he will require care for the rest of his life.

"We are hugely appreciative of today's donation by AS Roma and Mr Pallotta, and more particularly by committing to meaningful assistance over the coming years with the struggle Sean is facing into."

Roma managing director Mauro Baldissoni added: "Back in April we wrote to Mrs Cox to offer any help or support we could provide at a time that was right for the family. Now, having sat down on Friday with Martina and listened to the long journey Sean still has ahead of him, we wanted to make a donation that will help support Sean's ongoing rehabilitation costs."

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