Tag: Jose Mourinho

Europa League final referee, family abused by Roma fans at airport

Ugly scenes at the airport as Anthony Taylor attempted to leave Budapest

A Roma fan was arrested by Hungarian police after fans threatened Europa League final referee Anthony Taylor and his family at Budapest’s airport on Thursday.

The arrest comes one day after Roma fans spotted Taylor and his family about to board a flight home, with many loudly chanting at and mobbing the group. Security staff intervened, but not before video showed drinks and a chair being thrown in Taylor’s direction.

A statement from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport and local police published by The Mirror said that “Anthony Taylor, the referee of the UEFA Europa League final, was involved in an incident at Ferenc Liszt International (Budapest) Airport yesterday evening. Fans of the losing Roma team recognized the referee in the food court of the airport, where he was waiting for his flight to depart,” before later adding that “the Italian citizen involved in the incident was apprehended by the police and criminal proceedings have been initiated on charges of affray.”

Fans react after Mourinho rage

Taylor was the referee for a contentious Europa League final that ended with Roma falling on penalty kicks to Sevilla. The match featured a record 14 yellow cards, and Roma manager Jose Mourinho focused most of his post-game remarks on criticizing Taylor, strongly implying a bias against the Roman side.

Mourinho then followed up his press conference tirade by waiting in the team bus parking lot to call Taylor a “f—–g crook” with enough vigor that a staffer was seen restraining him. Mourinho was, predictably, charged by UEFA for the whole episode.

While it’s easy to write that off as Mourinho being Mourinho — over the last few months alone, he’s called one of his own players a traitor, was sent off for yelling at referees in a loss to Cremonese, jeered children, and wore a wire while coaching — there’s a big difference between harsh words in a press conference or from the touchline compared to physically waiting around to accost a referee in a parking lot.

While there are failures of security involved in sending a referee of a big match to a public food court among fans of the defeated team, the general air around how the game was officiated could have been tamped down by Mourinho and others. Taking the step from disagreement with calls to accusations of outright bias creates an atmosphere where referees are pressured, intimidated, or outright put in danger.

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Mourinho waits in parking lot to tell referee he’s a ‘f—–g disgrace’

The Roma manager didn’t think he got enough face time with Anthony Taylor during the game

José Mourinho was not a fan of referee Anthony Taylor’s performance in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

The Roma manager said so in his post-game press conference after his side fell on penalties to Sevilla following a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

But that wasn’t enough for the Portuguese manager. Mourinho also wanted to again tell Taylor to his face how displeased he was. So he waited outside the Roma team bus to find the referee and tell him that his performance was a “f—–g disgrace” and that the Englishman and his fellow referees were “f—–g crooks.”

Mourinho goes off in press conference

Prior to the parking lot confrontation, Mourinho told the media exactly how he felt about Taylor and his crew.

“The referee seemed like he was Spanish,” Mourinho said. “The result was not fair, and there are a lot of instances to reexamine.”

Some of those instances included Taylor not giving Roma a penalty kick in the second half after an alleged handball, as well as the referee not sending Erik Lamela off for a second yellow card.

“This is a European final, and with this kind of refereeing, it is hard to accept. If we talk about refereeing situations, it’s not two or three: it is many, quite apart from the big decisions. Those of us who have been in football a long time realize immediately what is going on,” Mourinho said.

“[Lorenzo] Pellegrini falls in box and given a yellow card; [Lucas] Ocampos did exactly the same thing and he doesn’t get one. It’s a scandal. VAR called the referee and shames Ocampos, but there’s no card given.

“Lamela — who, by the way, scored one of the penalties — deserved a second yellow but didn’t get it. And let’s not even talk about the big decisions. That’s just the small details.”

Taylor did award 14 yellow cards in the match, a new record for a Europa League final.

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Jose Mourinho loves all his former teams — except Tottenham

Getting sacked a week before a cup final can leave a bitter taste

José Mourinho has said he has fond feelings for every club that he’s managed in his career, except for one: Tottenham.

Mourinho was in charge in north London from November 2019 to April 2021. The Portuguese said that his lack of love for Spurs stems from the majority of his games being played without fans due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the timing of his sacking.

“Look, the reality is — I hope the Tottenham fans don’t get me wrong — but the only club in my career where I still don’t have a deep feeling with is Tottenham,” Mourinho told reporters.

“Probably because the stadium was empty (during) Covid time. Probably because Mr. Levy didn’t let me win a final and win a trophy.”

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy made the decision to sack Mourinho one week before the club was due to face Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final. With Ryan Mason in charge as interim manager, Spurs fell 1-0 to Pep Guardiola’s side at Wembley Stadium.

Mourinho has coached Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United, among others in his illustrious career. He is currently in charge at Roma.

“In all other clubs, there has always been a solid bond because people are not stupid,” Mourinho added. “It’s not about winning or losing. Fans understand that I fight for them every day. In my case, I am Romaista, Madridista and Interista and it’s a mutual thing. I will forever be tied to Roma and the other clubs I’ve coached.”

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Mourinho wore a wire during Roma’s draw with Monza, because of course he did

Completely normal behavior from Mourinho

If you had to pick the one person in soccer who is most likely to have wear a wire out of paranoia over a referee, you’d pick Jose Mourinho, right?

When it comes to pioneering new ways for top-level soccer to be strange and acrimonious, the Special One never disappoints, and sure enough he was out there reenacting “Donnie Brasco” during Roma’s 1-1 draw with Monza on Wednesday.

“I’m not stupid, you know,” Mourinho — in extremely predictable fashion — said to reporters after the match. “Today, I went to the game with a microphone. I recorded everything. From the moment I left the locker room to the moment I returned. I protected myself.”

Photos of Mourinho from the game bear this out, with the Portuguese manager seen clearly wearing a microphone clipped to the top of the zipper of his hoodie.

(Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

According to Mourinho, the rationale for this reasonable and definitely not at all overblown choice was a mistrust of referee Daniele Chiffi, who Mourinho declared “the worst referee I have met in my life.”

Chiffi has officiated 13 Serie A matches this season, and 86 in his career. This year, he experienced some personal firsts, including officiating a UEFA Conference League match and an international friendly between Hungary and Greece.

‘He is the worst’

“Technically he’s horrible. Zero empathy. Zero communication. Zero awareness,” said Mourinho as he railed against the 38-year-old referee, who sent Zeki Çelik off late in stoppage time. “He is the worst.”

“A second yellow to a guy who slips in the 96th minute,” said an exasperated Mourinho. “I stopped [talking to him] 20-30 minutes from the end because I knew he would give me a red card for anything. I didn’t give him the opportunity, I decided no, that’s enough.”

In the least shocking item in this article, this is not Mourinho’s first run-in with Serie A referees since joining Roma. Mourinho was sent off during a shock loss to Cremonese, and was then given a two-game suspension and a fine after storming into the referees’ locker room after the match to continue his arguments.

Among Mourinho’s claims at the time was that referee Marco Serra had a bias towards Juventus, and that he would consider legal action against the fourth official (as of now, that threat has not turned into any sort of lawsuit).

This is also not Mourinho’s first clash with Chiffi. In September, Chiffi sent the veteran manager off during a 1-0 Roma loss to Atalanta. Mourinho ended up having to be restrained before just barely leaving the pitch and setting up shop as close as possible to Roma’s bench.

During the 2022-23 season, Mourinho has not just focused on referees. He’s also gone after children, showing up at an under-14 match to jeer Lazio players. Roma players have also had to deal with his…unique style, with  defender Rick Karsdorp accused of being “a traitor” after a draw with Sassuolo.

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Jose Mourinho on USMNT job: ‘Everyone loves me but nobody calls me’

The legendary Portuguese coach was linked with the USMNT job in January

If U.S. Soccer is interested in José Mourinho as its next U.S. men’s national team head coach, he hasn’t heard anything about it yet.

Mourinho was linked with the USMNT job earlier this year, though the origin of that report made it somewhat dubious.

And as it turns out, Mourinho himself has now said he’s heard nothing from U.S. Soccer about potentially filling the role.

The current Roma boss was asked by Fox Sports Mexico about the reports, and in typical Mourinho fashion he responded: “Everyone loves me but no one calls me.”

The 60-year-old added that the only national team job he’s ever been offered is his home country Portugal — but he was unable to accept.

“Every week someone loves me,” he continued. “Be it a club, be it a national team but the only one that has called me has been the Portuguese team, which I have not been able to accept.”

Mourinho, who took over Roma prior to last season, has a contract with the Giallorossi through the 2023-24 campaign.

The USMNT is currently being guided on an interim basis by Anthony Hudson, who is likely to be in charge through the summer as U.S. Soccer looks to hire a sporting director before a USMNT head coach.

Gregg Berhalter’s contract expired at the end of 2022, and the federation continues to insist he is in the mix for a new contract despite the scandal that exploded into public view in January.

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Jose Mourinho apparently took out his frustration on some Lazio children

This was some totally normal coach behavior

José Mourinho has had a rough week.

On Tuesday, Mourinho’s Roma side somehow lost to Cremonese, a team that had managed to not win any of its first 23 Serie A matches this season.

Mourinho was red carded in that game, after which he threatened to take legal action against the fourth official.

In another example of totally normal coach behavior, it has now emerged that two days prior to that Cremonese defeat, Mourinho engaged in some questionable behavior during Roma’s U-14 derby match against Lazio.

Did Mourinho sit and politely cheer on his club’s squad of barely-teens? You probably know the answer to that already.

According to Il Messaggero, Mourinho jeered Lazio’s Alexandru Milou from the stands when he was taking a penalty. Late in the match, he encouraged Roma players to throw themselves to the ground and feign cramps when they were up by a goal.

The coach’s behavior drew a sharp rebuke from Lazio coach Tobia Assumma, who reportedly told him: “That’s not how you coach.”

Roma would go on to win the match 2-1, after which the Giallorossi players showed appreciation for their lesson in the dark arts by posing for pictures with the legendary coach.

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On the 24th try, Cremonese finally wins a Serie A game

It was the club’s first league win since 1995-96

After 24 games and seven months, Cremonese has finally won a game in Serie A.

The victims on Tuesday were no less than Champions League-chasing Roma, who fell to a 2-1 away defeat against a side that appears destined for relegation.

Playing in Serie A for the first time since 1995–96, Cremonese has struggled mightily this season. The club entered Tuesday’s game in last place with no wins, nine draws and 14 defeats.

Roma, coming into the match in fifth place, did not appear to be the likeliest of slump-busters for Cremonese, but Frank Tsadjout gave the home side a perfect start with a fantastic 17th-minute strike.

After José Mourinho was sent off for arguing with the officials, Leonardo Spinazzola would equalize for Roma in the 71st minute. But Cremonese captain Daniel Ciofani would grab the winner from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. 

Dating back to its last spell in Serie A, Cremonese snapped a 30-game league winless run — tied for the longest streak ever.

Incredibly for a club winning its first game of the season on the last day of February, Cremonese is no longer in last place! The club moved just ahead of Sampdoria, whose season is going so well that fans delivered a severed pig’s head to their owner over the weekend.

Cremonese is still eight points from safety and would need a completely unforeseen turnaround to remain in Serie A past this season. But if it does go down, at least Cremonese won’t leave empty-handed.

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Dybala nuevo futbolista de la Roma. ¡Fichajazo para Mourinho!

Jose Mourinho suma a uno de los mejores jugadores de toda la Serie A ganador de 12 títulos con Juventus

Tras siete temporada s con Juventus y 115 goles anotados, el argentino Paulo Dybala se convirtió en nuevo jugador de la Roma de Jose Mourinho quien fue fundamental para convencer al delantero.

Este miércoles el equipo de la Loba presentó de manera oficial a Dybala que ya se había incorporado desde el lunes a la pretemporada de su equipo en Portugal pues ya había dado el sí a fichar por los capitalinos.

“Me uno a un equipo que está en alza, a un club que sigue poniendo bases sólidas para el futuro, y a un entrenador, José Mourinho, con el que será un privilegio trabajar”, declaró Dybala, que alabó “el ambiente que crea la afición del Roma”.

Jose Mourinho suma a uno de los mejores jugadores de toda la Serie A ganador de 12 títulos con Juventus entre los que se encuentran 5 ligas, 4 copas y 3 supercopas de Italia.

Sin que se hayan dado a conocer cifras se dice que el salario de Dybala será de 6 millones de euros anuales y portará el dorsal número 21 que le fue cedido por Matic quien cambió su número para cederlo al argentino.

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Jose Mourinho explained why he chased after Eric Dier during in-match bathroom break

That’s a new one.

Whenever you watch a Jose Mourinho-coached team in action, you can usually expect to see something unusual happen. It’s part of his unique personality, but you can absolutely understand the soccer world’s confusion as Mourinho darted towards the dressing room with the second half already well underway.

He was going to retrieve Eric Dier who was using the bathroom.

In the 77th minute of Tottenham Hotspur’s Carabao Cup match against Chelsea, Callum Hudson-Odoi nearly doubled Chelsea’s lead against Spurs. And the next thing we saw was Mourinho heading towards the tunnel.

Dier had left the field to use the bathroom, apparently, and Mourinho grew frustrated with his team being forced to play shorthanded.

When asked about that ordeal after the game, Mourinho said that he indeed wanted to tell Dier to hurry up in the restroom and get back out on the field.

That’s … uh … a new one.

And hey, Dier would later score during the penalty shootout as Tottenham came back to eliminate Chelsea from the Carabao Cup. They can laugh about that one now.

Jose Mourinho storms off field after controversial VAR handball call denies Spurs win

Tottenham was denied a win after a controversial, late, VAR-assisted penalty call came against Eric Dier.

Tottenham appeared to be seeing off a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday when a controversial, late, VAR-assisted penalty call gave Newcastle the tying goal, and sent Spurs coach Jose Mourinho storming off the field in disgust.

The penalty came on an extremely borderline handball call against Spurs’ Eric Dier, who jumped for a head against Newcastle’s Andy Caroll, and then had Carroll head the ball directly into his upper shoulder. Dier had no idea about it, as he was mid-air when the contact happened.

However, with his arm slightly away from his body, the new handball rules suggest that, intent be damned, that is indeed a penalty. VAR confirmed the controversial call, and Spurs fans lost it.

Here was the call:

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho then stormed off the field down the tunnel into the locker room, not sticking around to shake anyone’s hand (or presumably get a red card for screaming at the referee.)

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