A DC10-30 FLC WERE ADVISED THEY HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY AT LIRF; FO.

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DURING TAXI OUT TO RWY 16R IN ROME; ITALY; I ASKED THE FO TO ASK THE TWR CTLR IF WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY AND FOR THE DEP CODE. I UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR TO SAY 'POS AND HOLD; I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR XPONDER CODE ON RELEASE.' AS I APCHED THE END OF THE RWY; I STOPPED AND REQUESTED THAT THE FO VERIFY WITH THE TWR THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS ON THE RWY. FOR THE SECOND TIME; I UNDERSTOOD THE TWR CTLR TO SAY 'CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD; I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR XPONDER CODE ON RELEASE.' AS I SAT IN POS FOR TKOF; I COULD HEAR THE TWR TALKING TO ACFT APCHING THE RWY FOR LNDG. I MENTIONED TO THE CREW THAT I DIDN'T LIKE BEING CLRED ON THE RWY TO HOLD WITH ACFT ALSO BEING CLRED TO LAND. MOMENTS AFTERWARD; THE TWR INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD NOT CLRED ME ONTO THE RWY. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I WAS CLRED ONTO THE RWY; PARTICULARLY AFTER I REQUESTED THE FO TO VERIFY THE POS AND HOLD CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 453780: AS WE APCHED THE HOLDING POINT; I ASKED THE TWR TO VERIFY THAT WE WERE CLRED INTO POS ON RWY 16R. AGAIN; ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR TO CLR US INTO 'POS AND HOLD.' A CONVERSATION IN ITALIAN TOOK PLACE BTWN THE OTHER ACFT AND THE TWR; AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER; THE TWR CTLR CONTACTED US SAYING WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED ONTO THE RWY. HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN OUR POS AND CLRED US FOR TKOF APPROX 2 MINS LATER.