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Jose Mourinho has revealed that he wore a microphone during Roma’s meeting with Monza on Wednesday.
The manager says he wore the microphone to “protect” himself in the Serie A clash which ended 1-1, with Stephan El Shaarawy’s first-half goal quickly cancelled out by Luca Caldirola.
Mourinho wasn’t happy with the draw, nor was he happy with referee Daniele Chiffi, who sent off Roma’s Mehmet Zeki Celik in the 96th minute of the match.
Mourinho wears microphone for ‘protection’
Mourinho has received three red cards this season alone for altercations with officials, including one from Chiffi in September.
But the Roma boss says he “stopped working” long before the full-time whistle at Monza in case another red went his way, having been booked in the 35th minute, with his counterpart Raffaele Palladino also receiving a caution.
His player Celik was, however, on the receiving end of a second yellow in the dying seconds of the game, having been booked just a few minutes earlier.
Given his previous issues with Chiffi, Mourinho was taking no chances this time around, with the manager wearing a microphone to record every encounter between the pair.
“I went to the game with a microphone,” said Mourino, as quoted by BBC Sport. “I recorded everything. From the moment I left the locker room, to the moment I returned – I protected myself.
“He is the worst. Technically he’s horrible. Zero empathy. Zero communication. Zero awareness. A second yellow to a guy who slips in the 96th minute… I stopped working 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.”
Mourinho questions Roma’s power
His amazing tirade did not stop there, with the ex-Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager continuing to slam Chiffi after the 1-1 draw.
The Special One is never too far away from the headlines, and he continues to steal the show despite his role off the pitch.
He seemingly hasn’t changed from his days at Stamford Bridge, the Bernabeu or Old Trafford, where the boss was always a very dynamic figure on the touchline.
Previously this season, The Special One threatened to take legal action following one altercation in February, with the boss claiming the fourth official that day spoke to him in an “unjustifiable way” during his club’s 2-1 loss to Cremonese.
He was sent to the stands on that occasion, with that particular dispute resulting in a two-match ban for the manager.
But Chiffi is seemingly his number one enemy, with the manager even having a go at his own club for their weakness when it comes to such situations.
“Believe me, I have dealt with many bad referees,” added Mourinho. “Usually, when I talk about referees, it is because they have a direct influence on the game.
“He is horrible, he makes no human connection with anyone, he has no empathy, he gives a red card to a player who slips because he is exhausted at the 96th minute.
“Unfortunately, this too is a sign of Roma’s weakness as a club, because we do not have the strength of other clubs who can say we don’t want this referee.”
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