Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini had ‘absolutely no idea’ why he was sent off against Udinese, while Jose Mourinho and Luciano Spalletti ‘didn’t understand’ the referee’s decisions when Roma hosted Napoli.
Gasperini was sent off in the final minutes of the 1-1 draw with Udinese, as Atalanta fumbled another lead when Udinese visited the Gewiss Stadium.
The Orobici coach was fuming after the match and attacked the referees in Serie A, claiming they ‘are really a problem’, while he was asking for an explanation.
“I was not angry with anyone, and I have absolutely no idea why I was booked,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia after the 1-1 draw.
“He came to book me, I didn’t say anything, and then there was a red. This is a huge issue for referees, because nobody on the touchline complained about anything.
“Referees are really a problem, they never explain themselves, they never own up to errors. They are professionals too, so let them be professionals like us and come to speak to the media, because I have no idea what he thought he heard or saw. It’s about time they stop being protected.”
Both Mourinho and Spalletti were eventually sent off when Roma held Napoli to a 0-0 draw at the Olimpico on Sunday.
Neither of the two coaches felt they had said anything offensive to referee Massa, and the two tacticians became the protagonists after the stalemate.
“I wasn’t happy about the referee’s decision, but I didn’t say a word,” Mourinho told DAZN after the match.
Spalletti added: “I went to him to say: ‘Well done’, he put it all together and he showed me the red card. I’m devastated.”
Later that evening, Inter coach Simone Inzaghi was also sent off when Juventus were awarded a controversial penalty in the final minutes of the Derby d’Italia.
Furious Inzaghi sent off after penalty decision in Inter-Juventus
He lost his cool completely and started screaming at the referee, while throwing his bib on the floor. Referee Mariani showed him a straight red card, which made him the fourth referee to be sent off in Serie A Week 9.
Corriere della Sera reports the top referees agree on the need for transparent communication and openness for public debate, but the path followed by the new President Trentalance is debatable.