José Mourinho’s two-match ban after a touchline and dressing room row with fourth official Marco Serra is causing debate in Italy, with La Gazzetta dello Sport and Il Corriere dello Sport having different views on the matter.
The Special One will miss games against Juventus and Sassuolo following a two-match ban handed by the FIGC Sport Judge on Wednesday. Roma have lodged an appeal, hoping to see the suspension lifted.
Il Corriere dello Sport exclusively reported on Thursday morning the transcription of the dressing room argument between the Roma coach and Serra in the aftermath of Roma’s 2-1 loss against Cremonese on Tuesday.
Mourinho was unhappy with what Serra had told him during the match, but the fourth official reportedly refused to apologise in the dressing room, making the Portuguese coach even more furious. Due to Serra’s attitude, Il Corriere dello Sport’s editor Ivan Zazzaroni believes Mourinho should not be banned, contrary to the fourth official.
“Mourinho only wanted Serra to apologise, that’s why he deserves no punishment,” wrote Zazzaroni, adding that the “arrogance of referees is well-known” in Italy and Serie A.
La Gazzetta dello Sport offers an opposite view through Stefano Agresti.
“Have you noticed? This time, there are not many comments about the game; what’s better than an argument between the Special One and the fourth official?”
Cremonese’s 2-1 win at the Stadio Zini on Tuesday was their first win in Serie A this season.
“Mourinho is a great coach and the trophies he’s won speak for themselves. But at Roma, he has also become a master of misdirections,” continued Agresti.
“When he lost 6-1 against Bodo/Glimt he blamed four of five players he had put on the pitch. Are you struggling to reach the Champions League? Squad is not deep enough. After all, where do you want to get if you only have Dybala, Matic, Pellegrini, Abraham, Cristante, Smalling and now, also Spinazzola and Wijnaldum?
“And when he loses key matches it’s often the referee’s fault. There is always somebody else to blame, except him. This is also an art, after all. Confuse ideas, mix the cards and get away with every situation as the victim and never as the guilty one.”