Zazzaroni: Mourinho must be severely punished after pre-Sassuolo comments

Ivan Zazzaroni, the director of Corriere dello Sport, has weighed in on José Mourinho’s statements in a press conference prior to the Serie A match against Sassuolo.

Zazzaroni wrote in his publication that Mourinho’s comments could potentially affect the outcome of future tribunal verdicts on football matters. His emotive language suggested the Portuguese manager potentially stepped over a line, something the director doesn’t believe the ‘football of the virgins, of the thousand hypocrisies and of the constantly broken rules’ can tolerate.

To quote Zazzaroni, “He did something that should not be done. He pre-emptively terrified a referee, 31-year-old Matteo Marcenaro, and he slandered an opponent, Mimmo Berardi. Essentially, he spoke what he thinks before a game, not after. Even if he had waited for the end, he would have been equally censored, deferred and disqualified. Because he is the maverick Mourinho and was born a repeat offender.”

The director went on to further examine the influence of Mourinho’s comments, despite Roma’s victory over Sassulo, which he believes was achieved ‘thanks to a clear penalty, an expulsion not seen by Marcenaro himself and a glaring own goal.’ Yet Zazzaroni maintains that by accusing Marcenaro of emotional instability, Mourinho crossed a line and ‘must be severely punished.’

Zazzaroni’s comments shed light on an ongoing debate around player conduct and the impact of managers’ public statements in football. It remains to be seen how the sport’s governing bodies will handle Mourinho’s comments.