AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho claims he wore a microphone to "protect" himself against the worst referee he has met in his life - Daniele Chiffi against Monza on Wednesday. T he Gialloross drew that fixture 1-1 at the Stadio Brianteo in Monza. After Stephan El Shaarawy’s early 24th-minute goal, the home side found an equaliser 15 minutes later.
After this goal, Roma failed to score and had to settle for just one point from the fixture. Then after the game, Mourinho drew attention to Chiffi's performance once again, saying: "I am not stupid, I went to the game with a microphone and recorded everything from the moment I left the dressing room until I returned. I had to protect myself”.
The Portuguese manager has received three red cards this season for disputes with officials, including one from Chiffi in September. He made critical remarks against the referee, saying “He [Cheffi] is the worst. Technically he's horrible. Zero empathy. Zero communication. Zero awareness.”
Mourinho has previously voiced his displeasure with Chiffi. The match between Roma and AC Milan in January 2022, which saw Mourinho's team lose 3-1, was the last game the referee would oversee. He awarded Milan two penalties, sent out two Roma players, and issued eight yellow cards. The performance of Chiffi, according to the Portuguese, was "difficult to understand."
