What happened to Jose Mourinho? Why was the Roma head coach handed two-match suspension?

Roma coach Jose Mourinho as well as his assistant Nuno Santos have been suspended for two games by Serie A for outburst during their match against Hellas Verona. Mourinho was shown the red card by referee Luca Pairetto after he stepped onto the field and kicked the ball in frustration. Roma General Manager Tiago Pinto and Mourinho’s assistant manager Salvatore Foti were also handed bans for their upcoming games against Spezia and Atalanta.

What happened at Stadio Olimpico?

"They sent you on purpose, Juventus sent you...," Mourinho is said to have yelled at Pairetto reportedly before making the phone gesture. With his gesture, Mourinho appeared to be alluding to Pairetto's father's reported phone conversations with former Juve director Luciano Moggi, who was accused of fixing games for Juventus with the help of officials.

The Serie A issued a statement on Tuesday, where it said that the Portuguese coach acted in a "threatening manner" and will be banned for two games. Mourinho was also handed a fine of €20,000. Mourinho will not be allowed to be present for Roma's matches against Spezia and Atalanta on February 27 and March 5 respectively. 

This is not the first time that Mourinho has been handed a red card for his behaviour on the football pitch. Mourinho was earlier sent off during a match against Napoli due to his frequent protests. Mourinho was fined €10,000 for his disrespectful conduct. He was also dismissed by the referee during a friendly match against Spanish side Real Betis. 

Mourinho was appointed the head coach of Roma in May last year. He replaced Paulo Fonseca as the new boss of Roma. Mourinho arrived at Roma after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in April last year. Mourinho has not been able to help his side get back on winning track as Roma have not won a single match in their last three encounters.

The match against Verona on Tuesday also ended in a 2-2 draw. Verona were able to take an early lead before Roma bounced back to score two goals in the second half to level the match. 

Image: AP