Jose Mourinho told all when discussing his recent clash with fourth official Marco Serra in Roma’s loss to Cremonese to the Sporting Court of Appeals.
La Repubblica details how the minutes of the Portuguese coach’s visit to the Court of Appeals has been revealed, confirming his explanations to the public spat with the fourth official. Everything started when Mourinho asked for an explanation for the missed foul on defender Marash Kumbulla.
Mourinho told the Court of Appeals that “Without even turning around, provocatively giving me his back and with obvious superiority, Serra told me: ‘Go home, go home’. I said ‘what?’ and he said ‘everyone is taking the p*ss’. Then he added ‘always the same show, go home’.”
The Roma coach then noted how was unsure whether Serra’s comments referred to the Cremonese fans or wider public opinion. When the referee eventually produced the red card, Serra muttered ‘bravo’ to the coach.
Things did not end there, however, as Mourinho decided to pay a visit to the referee’s dressing room after the match. “I knocked, I was allowed in, the door was left open,” he told the court, “I come here because I want you (Serra, ed.) to apologise to me.”
Serra refused to back down and remarked “I did not disrespect you, I never said anything against you.”
The Roma coach then confirmed the now-infamous comment relating to the fourth official’s background, telling the court that “I then told him he was a liar and at the end I added an ironic joke: ‘You are from Turin’.”
“At that moment,” Mourinho continued, “Serra came back aggressively: ‘I knew you were coming for that reason’. There then I ended the conversation by saying ‘you are a liar’.”
Mourinho admitted that “this whole situation did not affect the match”, but also felt that “I was treated unprofessionally and provocatively by Serra.”
Not even FIGC prosecutor Giuseppe Chine believed Serra, with Roma producing a USB flash drive with footage and other evidence from the clash. Audio of conversations between the match officials was also sent over by Can, making it likely that the fourth official was be suspended for his behaviour.