Jose Mourinho FUMES at the decision to deduct 10 points from Juventus
‘It’s a joke!’: Roma boss Jose Mourinho FUMES at the decision to deduct 10 points from Serie A rivals Juventus mid-season… and insists his side would’ve taken a different ‘approach’ to their end-of-season run-in
- Juventus have been handed a 10 point deduction after a court hearing in Italy
- It’s the second time they’ve been handed a point penalty throughout the season
- Roma boss Mourinho vented his frustrations about the mid-season decision
Roma boss Jose Mourinho has labelled Juventus’ mid-season points deduction as a ‘joke’ in a fiery post-match interview.
The Portuguese manager oversaw his side’s 2-2 draw with Salernitana on Monday night, which has left the Europa League finalists sitting sixth in the Serie A table.
However, it was Mourinho’s comments after the match that made headlines, as the Roma boss took aim at league officials over Juventus’ recent sanction.
Earlier in the day, the Old Lady were hit with a 10 point deduction, after having their previous punishment reinstated following a verdict handed down by the Italian Federal Court of Appeal.
As a consequence, Juventus dropped down to 7th in the table – one place behind Mourinho’s Roma – and, in turn, freed up a potential Champions League spot.
Jose Mourinho has vented his frustrations over Juventus’ recent 10-point deduction
Juventus have been hit with points deductions on two separate occasions throughout the year
However, Roma’s recent league results mean their chances of finishing in the top four have dwindled, yet Mourinho insists his team’s ‘approach’ would have changed, had they known about the deduction.
Speaking after his side’s game on Monday, Mourinho told DAZN: ‘It’s a joke to know this with two games remaining. For us and everyone, even for Juventus.
‘Our approach would have been different if we had known before the games with Monza and Bologna.
‘I am sorry for [Massimiliano] Allegri and his players, but at the league level, I have to say that it changes things a little.’
He was then asked whether the season was warped, to which he said: ‘To me, yes, but I no longer want to talk about this. I am sorry for professionals who work like me because they pay for errors that directors and maybe the club did.’
Roma currently sit sixth in the Serie A table and are four points behind fourth-placed AC Milan, who currently stand to qualify for the Champions League.
It’s clear that against Monza and Bologna, Mourinho opted to field a weakened side given their Europa League semi-finals that followed either game.
They were held to draws in both matches but Mourinho clearly suggests things would have been different if they were aware of the impending point deduction.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side will now struggle to qualify for European football next season
Mourinho’s Roma were held to disappointing draws with Monza and Bologna in recent weeks
Chaos initially broke out in November of last year when the entire Juventus board sensationally resigned from their roles amid charges of false accounting.
News of Juventus being investigated then broke in January when they were handed a 15 point deduction for the way they had dealt with player exchange deals.
That ruling was revoked in April by Italy’s highest sporting court, who decided to reinstate Juventus’ previous points tally while an investigation got underway.
Now, the rollercoaster legal battles have temporarily concluded with prosecutors deciding that a new 10-point deduction should be applied.
In a statement published on Monday evening, Juventus stated their intentions to fight the charges.
It read: ‘Juventus Football Club takes note of what was decided a short while ago by the FIGC Court of Appeal and reserves the right to read the reasons for evaluating a possible appeal to the Guarantee Board at the CONI.
‘What was ruled by the fifth instance of judgment in this affair, which began more than a year ago, arouses great bitterness in the club and in its millions of fans, who, in the absence of clear rules, find themselves extremely penalized with the application of sanctions that do not seem to take into account the principle of proportionality.
The Serie A giants dropped from 2nd to 7th after a ruling by the Italian Federal Court of Appeal
‘While not ignoring the need for speed, to which Juventus has never shirked during the proceedings, it is emphasized that these are facts that have yet to be judged by the natural judge.’
The public prosecutor’s office initially requested an 11-point deduction in a hearing that got underway on Monday morning in Rome.
They additionally called for eight-month bans to be handed to seven former directors in Pavel Nedved, Enrico Vellano, Paolo Garimberti, Assia Grazioli Venier, Daniela Marilungo, Caitilin Mary Hughes, and Francesco Roncaglio.
To make matters worse, their recent misery was compiled by a disappointing 4-1 defeat away at Empoli on Monday evening.
Serie A President, Lorenzo Casini, has had a leading role within the Juventus investigation
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