Jose Mourinho joked after Roma won both games during his touchline ban that he would ‘not come back’ onto the bench.
The tactician was sent off during the 2-2 draw with Verona and given a two-match ban for insulting the referee.
Rather than watch from the stands or the VIP box, in both cases he preferred to stay out of sight and follow the game on a laptop in the team bus.
It proved a lucky gambit, as the Giallorossi beat both Spezia and Atalanta 1-0.
“Mourinho said afterwards we were doing so well, he would not come back on the bench!” defender Gianluca Mancini revealed on DAZN.
What else did the coach say to the centre-back in the tunnel of the Stadio Olimpico after the match?
“He said well done for not getting booked. It’s a rare occurrence, I can’t remember the last time that happened…”
Tammy Abraham strikes again for AS Roma! 🔥
The Englishman scores his seventh goal in 2022, his 13th of the season in Serie A.
He’s on a roll in the Italian capital! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/GWJ5TDaopH
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 5, 2022