The Giallorossi desperately need to beat Empoli on Sunday given tension is already building at Trigoria over the strength of the squad
Nearly four months after waiting in the car park below the Puskas Arena to verbally abuse referee Anthony Taylor and his fellow officials, Jose Mourinho is still fuming over their handling of the Europa League final. “If I say what I think, I will get banned for 10 games,” the Roma coach told Sky Sport Italia just last week.
Coming from Mourinho, such bitterness is as unsurprising as it is unjustified. ‘The Special One’ doesn’t just hold grudges; he clings onto them for dear life. He’s still not over Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’, for example, and even when his outrageous claims are found to be completely baseless, he never issues an apology. Just ask Anders Frisk.
It almost goes without saying, then, that there was nothing remotely untoward about Taylor’s officiating in Budapest. The only “f*cking disgrace” that night was the conduct of Mourinho, his players and his coaching staff – which unquestionably led to Roma fans abusing the Englishman as he and his family were attempting to board a flight out of Budapest the following morning. So, it’s honestly a little sad that he’s still harping on about this perceived injustice.
