Another red card came the way of Roma boss Jose Mourinho on Sunday, after making crying gestures at opposition boss Raffaele Palladino in the clash with Monza.
During the final moments of the match at Stadio Olimpico, where Roma narrowly defeated their opponents 1-0, Mourinho indulged in some mockery directed at Monza’s bench. This action drew the referee’s attention and ultimately led to his expulsion from the game during the ninth minute of added time. The visiting team had been reduced to ten men in the first half.
As a consequence of his actions, the Portuguese manager will serve a one-match suspension, causing him to miss Roma’s upcoming encounter against his former club, Inter. This incident is not the first time Mourinho has faced disciplinary issues during his tenure as Roma’s head coach.
Last season, Mourinho found himself removed from the dugout on three separate occasions, during matches against Cremonese, Torino, and Atalanta, which made him the most ejected player or manager in Italy’s top flight during that period. Additionally, he received multiple bookings, including one in his team’s recent victory over Cagliari.
“I made some gestures, I said nothing offensive,” Mourinho remarked after Sunday’s win over Monza. “It was because last season some talented people, but lacking in experience, had some nasty words about us.
“Today the only ones making a show on the touchline and trying to pressure the referee were Monza. I am honest, they are a good team and did not deserve to lose today. I think Monza did not deserve to lose the match. Obviously, I am very happy with the points, but I always felt my team was struggling. We made a lot of technical errors, the players were physically drained after long journeys on international duty.”
Mourinho once asserted that he had donned a microphone on the touchline during Roma’s 1-1 Serie A draw with Monza in March. He stated that he did so to “protect myself” from the match officials. After the match, he launched a scathing attack on referee Daniele Chiffi, labelling him as “the worst I’ve ever come across.”