Jose Mourinho's time in charge of Roma continues to be marred by controversy with the club now reportedly the subject of a peculiar investigation by the Italian Football Federation. The Giallorossi recently employed former Serie A referee Gianpaolo Calvarese as an external consultant to help Mourinho's side deal with officiating and VAR protocol, but their plan appears to have backfired. As reported by Rome news outlet Il Tempo, the FIGC are said to have opened a case involving the Italian giants and Calvarese's role at the Stadio Olimpico after he illegally confronted referee Rosario Abisso after a match. The incident occurred after Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo was sent off in a 0-0 draw with Genoa on Saturday, February 5, and Calvarese is claimed to have entered the match officials' dressing room seeking clarity over the decision, off limits to anyone except for the club's employee responsible for referee relations. That man is Vito Scala, meaning Calvarese's presence could lead to the Giallorossi being hit with fines and suspensions for members of their management, although it is noted that the FIGC Prosecutor's Office is yet to inform the club about the proceeding and the likely hearings which will follow.
The appointment of Calvarese came after Roma repeatedly protested refereeing decisions in the first half to the season, while the 45-year-old had been working as a match analyst for Amazon Prime Italia's coverage of the Champions League. He is not only working with their senior squad, but also the women's team and the Primavera youth side in their academy, having retired at the end of last term.
Mourinho has made plenty of headlines over the course of the campaign in reaction to decisions against the Giallorossi, most recently in the afore mentioned clash with Genoa. After Zaniolo's 91st-minute winner was ruled out by VAR for a foul by teammate and England striker Tammy Abraham in the build-up, the Portuguese coach fumed: "If the referee made the right decision, then our sport that many years ago became the sport that people love, then this has changed. This is a different sport. A different sport. If that is a foul, then this is no longer football, we have to call it something else. We need a different name because it's a different sport. If the referee made a mistake and disallowed the goal, he will be the first to be upset at getting it wrong, while for Roma it is deja vu, as this has already happened many times to us this season. There is also a third option, which is 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 has a different profile to before. Zaniolo was sent off for telling the referee what the f**k are you whistling a foul for? Now you tell me, would [Giorgio] Chiellini at Juve's stadium or Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] at the San Siro have been sent off for saying this?"
Source: Mirror
