AS Roma and Lazio have six days to meet various financial requirements or be barred from the forthcoming Italian league season.

Serie A finance authority Covisoc have confirmed that the pair, along with Serie B teams Fiorentina, Genoa, Messina, Napoli, Palermo and Verona must get their finances in order by 29 July.

The ruling may be appealed by 25 July.

Officials from Roma and Lazio, which are both listed on the Milan stock exchange, expressed anger and bitterness at the Covisoc statement.

Roma chairman Franco Sensi says his club had been put on the blacklist because it failed to hand over the required cash guarantees to secure its Serie A place.

"Roma has so far refused to pay up because I want to know why we are being asked to pay three times more than Inter or (AC) Milan," he was quoted as saying.

"In the end we'll pay but first of all I want some explanations."

Lazio chairman Sergio Cragnotti said there had been a breakdown in communications between Italy's various soccer authorities.

He claims to have already explained fully his club's situation - a message he said Covisoc had not received.

"What has happened today is very serious, above all because Roma and Lazio are listed on the bourse and this way of doing things seriously risks undermining their shares," he said.

Last week a survey of Italian soccer's finances showed that Serie A clubs made a combined operating loss of 702m euros (�447m) in the 2000-01 season.

Some of Serie A's best-paid players, such as Inter Milan trio Ronaldo, Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba, have offered to take a pay cut to aid clubs in crisis.