Serra and Roma: before Mourinho the precedents at Viareggio

Not only the disrespectful expressions addressed to José Mourinho during the second half of Cremonese-Roma. In Marco Serra’s past – fourth man in the match lost by the Giallorossi to Zini – two precedents stand out which, already at the time, had made the Trigoria management and the Giallorossi players angry. In fact, well before arriving in Serie A, the Turin whistle had ended up in the spotlight due to some “questionable” refereeing with Roma Primavera on the pitch. The first dates back to 2012, the other to 2015: both during the Viareggio tournament.

Saints Lagoon

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The first time that Serra and Roma crossed paths was on February 8, 2012. Involved in the group stage of the Viareggio tournament, Alberto De Rossi’s boys – after beating Club Nacional – met Santos Laguna. The match ended 2-0 in favor of the Mexicans, but it was precisely the direction of the match from the Piedmontese referee that unleashed the anger of the Giallorossi. In fact, Roma ended the match with 9 men after the particularly severe expulsions of Sabelli and Politano.

Inter

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The other precedent is that of the 2015 edition. Roma and Inter are competing for access to the final and, once again, referee Serra is on Roma’s path in the tournament. The Nerazzurri went through, thanks to a resounding 4-0. Even this time, however, the progress of the match is heavily conditioned by the direction of the race. On 1-0 it is Marchizza who commits a foul on the edge of the area: for Serra it is a penalty and expulsion. A decision that drastically changes the course of the match. What’s more, in the following minutes, the referee shows an almost provocative attitude towards the boys in the yellow and red shirt. In the final, however, it is Soleri and Pop who return to the locker room prematurely, both sent off for double yellow cards.

Cremona

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The latest episode, on the other hand, is that of Tuesday evening in Cremona, when Serra allegedly addressed some disrespectful remarks to José Mourinho which provoked the coach’s angry reaction (subsequently expelled by Piccinini). The words uttered by the fourth official were not recorded, but the reaction of the Giallorossi bench (all the members suddenly jumped up) suggests that Serra has said something disrespectful. In particular, Giovanni Cerra – one of the Special One’s match analysts – asked for “respect for the coach”, addressing Serra himself. The federal prosecutor’s office will clarify the matter, which has opened a file to see clearly: for this reason – tomorrow afternoon – the Roma coach could be heard tomorrow.