Manager Jose Mourinho criticized referee Fabio Maresca for lacking respect for Roma players in their 0-1 loss to Inter in Serie A’s 10th round.
Returning to the Giuseppe Meazza stadium on October 29, Mourinho, who was previously serving a suspension for a red card due to taunting an opponent in their 1-0 victory over Monza in Serie A’s 9th round, chose to be present in the media area instead of sitting in the stands or watching the match on the team bus, as he had been banned from coaching on previous occasions.
Mourinho also sat in the media area during Roma’s 4-0 victory against Servette in the Europa League on October 5. During that match, the Portuguese manager was also barred from the Roma technical area for four matches by the UEFA for insulting referee Anthony Taylor during last season’s Europa League final.
Yesterday, Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference and only answered interviews on Roma’s media channels. Mourinho believed that Roma was the target of referee Fabio Maresca’s cards, and his players did not receive the respect they deserved. “Maresca’s attitude toward Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka showed everything clearly,” he expressed.
In this match, Inter committed more fouls than Roma (14 to 9) but received fewer cards. Roma had four players shown yellow cards: Gianluca Mancini, Evan Ndicka, Leandro Paredes, and Bryan Cristante, while three home players were cautioned: Benjamin Pavard, Alessandro Bastoni, and Hakan Calhanoglu.
In other statistics, Inter dominated with 63% possession, took 19 shots with three on target, and secured three points with a close-range strike from Marcus Thuram in the 81st minute. Meanwhile, Roma managed only one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, a header from Bryan Cristante that goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved in the second half.
Mourinho thought that Roma played well and faced difficulties due to the absence of several key players, including Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Spinazzola, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Renato Sanches, Chris Smalling, Tammy Abraham, and Marash Kumbulla. The 60-year-old Portuguese coach acknowledged that Roma lacked focus on the goal they conceded but believed that a draw would have been a fairer result. “With all the fatigue, difficulties, and too little time to prepare for the match, I think the players put on a strong performance,” he expressed.
Conversely, Coach Simone Inzaghi emphasized that Inter deserved to claim three points. “Today, we faced many challenges against a well-organized Roma defense, but we remained patient, mature, and shrewd,” the Italian coach stated.
The focal point of the match at the Giuseppe Meazza was the return of Romelu Lukaku, who had switched from Inter to Roma on a loan deal this summer. The home fans blew whistles, creating deafening noise whenever the Belgian striker touched the ball. Many Inter players, including his close friend and former strike partner Lautaro Martinez, avoided eye contact with Lukaku during the pre-match handshakes.
“Everyone knows what I did to bring Lukaku back to Inter,” Inzaghi said. “Everyone makes their own decisions in life, and Lukaku made his choice. My decisions are always for the benefit of Inter rather than individual players. We didn’t meet today, but if we do, I will greet Lukaku without issues.”
