UEFA have appointed Premier League referee Michael Oliver to officiate the Europa League semi-final first leg between Roma and Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening, which might not be a good omen for Giallorossi coach Jose Mourinho.
Whilst Oliver has never previously refereed a game Roma have played in, he is all too familiar with Mourinho from his various spells in England with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.
In fact, the Englishman has taken charge of 21 games involving Mourinho and over that period, no other Premier League referee has given away more penalties against the Special One’s sides.
Mourinho himself had noticed that particular detail while still in charge of Tottenham, noting in a post-match interview in March 2021: “The number of penalties he has given against me is amazing.”
Over the years, Oliver has awarded six penalties against the current Roma boss in 21 matches, averaging out at one every 3.5 encounters.
However, the accolade for the “worst” referee that Mouinho has ever had to deal with is reserved for Daniele Chiffi, who earned the unfortunate title during Roma’s 1-1 draw with Monza last Wednesday, with his decisions leaving Mourinho in a state of absolute fury.