‘He would give me a red card for anything’ – Roma boss Jose Mourinho explains how he dealt with ‘worst referee in my entire career’

• Portuguese has been sent off three times this season
• Feared another ban after latest Serie A outing
• Has criticised match officials once again

WHAT HAPPENED? The enigmatic Portuguese tactician was back on the sidelines for Roma’s trip to Monza in Serie A on Wednesday. That contest finished in a 1-1 draw, with the Giallorossi finishing the game with 10 men following Mehmet Zeki Celik’s late dismissal. Mourinho feared being sent from the dugout himself, with the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss hitting out at the performance of another match official.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Mourinho said of having to deal with some questionable calls from Daniele Chiffi: “This was the worst referee I have encountered in my entire career. Believe me, I have dealt with many bad referees. Usually, when I talk about referees, it is because they have a direct influence on the game. In this case, I don’t think that is true. But he is horrible, he makes no human connection with anyone, he has no empathy, he gives a red card to a player who slips because he is exhausted at the 96th minute. Unfortunately, this too is a sign of Roma’s weakness as a club, because we do not have the strength of other clubs who can say we don’t want this referee.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mourinho went on to say of reining in his antics on the touchline in a bid to avoid another ban, with Chiffi apparently out to get him: “I stopped working 20-30 minutes from the end, because I knew he would give me a red card for anything. There are clubs that say I don’t want this referee and Roma either don’t have this capability or the DNA or anything else. It’s horrible. With the few players I have in my squad, I could not get a red card.”

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WHAT NEXT? Mourinho has found himself on the wrong side of match officials throughout a colourful coaching career, with three red cards and a further three cautions coming his way during the 2022-23 campaign alone.