Former Manchester United manager and current Roma boss Jose Mourinho has been handed a 10-day suspension by Italy's football federation, FIGC, for comments he made about referee Daniele Chiffi. Following Roma's match against Monza on May 3, Mourinho referred to Chiffi as "the worst referee (he) had ever seen," leading to disciplinary action.
The Portuguese manager, who spent two and a half years years in charge at Old Trafford, will be prohibited from being on the touchline or in the dressing room on matchdays during the first 10 days of the upcoming Serie A season. In addition, Mourinho has been fined €50,000 (£43,000).
This comes after UEFA banned Mourinho for four matches due to his verbal abuse of English referee Anthony Taylor during the Europa League final on May 31. In his post-match press conference, Mourinho criticised Taylor, and video footage later circulated on social media showed Mourinho gesticulating at the referee and officials in the stadium car park while expressing his discontent, stating "disgrace."
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The incident led to further controversy as subsequent footage emerged of Taylor being confronted by angry fans at Budapest Airport. UEFA responded to the incident, releasing a statement on June 2, the same day Mourinho was charged.
The statement read: “UEFA vehemently condemns violent behaviour directed towards its referee Anthony Taylor and his family. Such actions are unacceptable and undermine the spirit of fair play and respect that UEFA upholds.
“Referees play a crucial role in ensuring the integrity and fairness of the game, and their safety and wellbeing are of utmost importance. UEFA stands firm in its commitment to creating a safe and respectful environment for all participants, including referees, and will not tolerate any form of violent behaviour towards them.
“We urge all players, coaches, and fans to embrace the values of sportsmanship, treat referees with dignity and respect, and join us in upholding the highest standards of conduct on and off the pitch.
“UEFA maintains a close collaboration with local police and airport security starting from the referees’ arrival in host cities. However, we are constantly striving to enhance the security measures for officials in coordination with local authorities. We will carefully assess the incidents and incorporate valuable insights into our future event planning processes.”
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