"If that is a foul, then this is no longer football" - Jose Mourinho sets off on an astonishing rant, says Roma are considered 'small in the eyes of those who are powerful'
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho slammed the referee following his side's goalless draw with Genoa in Serie A on Saturday.
Nicolo Zaniolo appeared to have put the ball in the back of the net in the 89th minute but it was ruled out by VAR, leaving the Portuguese furious.
Following a review of the pitchside monitor, match officials determined that Roma's Tammy Abraham fouled Johan Vasquez in the build-up.
Zaniolo also protested the decision but got himself sent off for that, as both sides ended the game with 10-men as Genoa had also seen Leo Ostigard sent for an early bath in the 68th minute.
🗣️"The game has changed, it's gone, it's changed. We have to find another name for it because it's another sport"
-Mourinho https://t.co/Cli3HxrO2O
Mourinho, however, wasn't happy with the decision to disallow a potential winning goal, and made no bones about his feelings while addressing the media after the game.
Speaking to DAZN, he said:
“I don’t want to comment on it. I can comment on the game, but not the goal, not the sending off or the reactions afterwards.
“I want to avoid discussing it. If it’s determined that the referee made the correct decision, then the game that people fell in love with years ago has changed. If that’s the foul then this isn’t football anymore, we’ll have to call it something else.”
“We’ll have to come up with a new name because it’s an entirely different sport, not football. Nonetheless, it’s déjà vu for us because this has happened to us so many times this season.”
“Perhaps it’s also that Roma are considered ‘small’ in the eyes of those who are powerful. I leave it there, as the Mourinho who arrived here seven months ago and has a different profile than before.”
Roma boss decries unfair treatment of Zaniolo
The Portuguese head coach didn't stop there. He suggested there was some kind of vendetta against his players.
90+1' Nicolo Zaniolo scores a late winner for Roma
90+3' The goal is disallowed and Zaniolo is sent off https://t.co/kxHzBAl8kR
Zaniolo was shown a red following a heated exchange of words with the referee but Mourinho doubts if a similar rant by veteran players from rival sides would result in a sending-off.
“Zaniolo was sent off for telling the referee what the f**k are you whistling a foul for? Now you tell me, would Chiellini at Juve’s stadium or Zlatan at the San Siro have been sent off for saying this?”