Roma manager Jose Mourinho criticises VAR official Luca Banti after defeat to Fiorentina

Jose Mourinho criticises VAR official Luca Banti after Roma’s defeat by Fiorentina: ‘What’s happening is frankly too much… we want an explanation’

  • Jose Mourinho was livid with the officiating as Roma lost 2-0 to Fiorentina
  • Mourinho was especially angered by the decision to award Fiorentina a penalty
  • The Roma boss acknowledged his team were tired after their European fixture

Jose Mourinho has questioned the decision making of VAR official Luca Banti following Roma’s defeat to Fiorentina.

Roma suffered a 2-0 defeat, which represents a blow to their hopes of finishing in the top six in Serie A. 

It was a disastrous start for Mourinho’s side as they conceded two goals in eleven minutes, but the Roma boss was adamant that the decision to award Fiorentina a penalty was incorrect. 

Jose Mourinho criticised the decision making of VAR official Luca Banti as Roma were beaten

Rick Karsdorp caught Nico Gonzalez’s shin, but the penalty decision seemed rather harsh.

Gonzalez stepped up to score from the spot in the fifth minute, with Giacomo Bonaventura proceeding to make it 2-0 just six minutes later. 

Mourinho acknowledged that his team was tired following their exploits in the Europa Conference League, but he was still livid with the officiating. 

Speaking to DAZN, Mourinho said: ‘What’s happening is frankly too much. We want an explanation. We want respect.

‘The explanation… we’ve been waiting for an explanation for a long time and we have no explanation.

‘There is a double explanation tonight. Obviously, after Thursday’s game we were certainly lacking physical and mental energy, compared to a side that had all week to prepare.

Fiorentina's Nicolas Gonzalez scored from the controversially-awarded penalty

Fiorentina’s Nicolas Gonzalez scored from the controversially-awarded penalty

‘But I want to hear the explanation from Mr Banti of Livorno, which is not far from here. I already saw the footage, it’s a touch, not a foul. The referee was close by and did not give a penalty. In the VAR room, Mr Banti intervened.’

Mourinho accepted that Fiorentina, who are now level on points with Roma, deserved to win the game.

However, he again criticised Bardi, stating that such situations are occurring too frequently. 

Mourinho said: ‘Aside from the penalty, Fiorentina were also stronger, they played at a different tempo and with concentration, so they deserved to win. The problem is we are not talking about just these three points, but the many, many incidents that we have no explanation for.

Mourinho's Roma face a battle to secure a top six finish after they lost against Fiorentina

Mourinho’s Roma face a battle to secure a top six finish after they lost against Fiorentina

‘Why did the VAR call a referee like Guida, who was 10 metres away and saw full well it wasn’t a penalty? Why? These are the explanations we want and do not have.

‘Yes, we are in a Final, which absorbs the emotion and energy of a club like Roma, but we also have a league to play and it’s frankly too much. What keeps happening to this team is just too much.’

If Roma beat Feyenoord in the final of the Europa Conference League then they will secure a place in the Europa League for next season.

However, if the Giallorossi are unsuccessful in that fixture then their involvement in Europe will depend on their league position.

Roma are currently in sixth place, which would be sufficient to get into the Europa League. The team that finishes seventh will go into the play-off round of the Europa Conference League.