07.11.2025 04:58
Jose Mourinho spoke about the referee Simone Sozza in relation to Benfica's 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, saying, "It is rare to see a referee give a yellow card to a goalkeeper in the first half. They usually only give it in the 89th minute. Then there are fouls, players throw themselves to the ground, and they stop the game. Unfortunately, he was a referee I know very well; he has no sympathy for me, and I have none for him. We lost the match due to the referee's decisions and because we couldn't score a goal."
In the 4th week match of the UEFA Champions League, Benfica lost 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen at home. Benfica's head coach, Jose Mourinho, complained about the referee of the match.
''IT'S RARE TO SEE A GOALKEEPER GETTING A YELLOW CARD IN THE FIRST HALF''
Criticizing the referee of the match, Mourinho said, "When it comes to the details of the match, I don't want to discuss too much, especially since I'm far away. I don't like to protest just for the sake of protesting, but all the unsportsmanlike behavior they exhibited... I usually say that when a team shows a lot of unsportsmanlike behavior, there is only one person to blame: the referee. It's rare to see a referee give a goalkeeper a yellow card in the first half. They only give it in the 89th minute. Then there are fouls, they throw themselves on the ground, and they stop the game."
''THE ONLY CULPRIT IS THE REFEREE''
Continuing his words, Mourinho stated, "I don't like to complain unnecessarily, but we need to talk about all the actions the opponent took to cool down the game. I always say: If a team is wasting too much time, there is only one person responsible for that, and that is the referee."
''HE HAS NO SYMPATHY FOR ME''
Finally, Mourinho commented, "Unfortunately, he was a referee I know very well; he has no sympathy for me, and I have none for him. We lost the match due to the referee's decisions and also because we couldn't score."