A visibly frustrated Jose Mourinho was captured sitting in the press box as he commenced his four-match touchline suspension. This penalty was imposed on the Roma manager due to his use of “offensive language” directed at Premier League referee Anthony Taylor, a reaction stemming from his team’s defeat to Sevilla in last season’s Europa League final. Shocking footage captured Mourinho confronting Taylor in a car park, calling the referee ‘ a f*****g disgrace’

Consequently, this incident led to a group of incensed Roma supporters confronting the official and his companion as they navigated Budapest Airport the day after the match. As a consequence of the suspension, Mourinho was relegated to the stands for Roma’s clash against Sheriff Tiraspol on the current evening and will remain in that position for the subsequent three Europa League encounters.

Addressing the situation ahead of Thursday’s match, Mourinho acknowledged the challenges posed by his ban, stating, “My suspension is clearly a problem because I can’t communicate with the team.” He added, “We tried to reduce the problem by working well together in training. Today’s training was very positive.”

“I cannot communicate with the team during the match so we’ll see where Sheriff allow me to sit during the game. I believe in my team and my staff and this will lead us to success. I can’t speak to the team but from my seat, I will be able to celebrate the goals.”

Ultimately, Mourinho’s absence proved inconsequential as Roma triumphed in the game, securing a 2-1 victory. Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, scored the winning goal midway through the second half, nullifying Sheriff’s Cristian Tovar’s earlier equalizer following an own goal by Roma.

This victory was of great significance given Roma’s challenging start to the Serie A season. With just one win in their first four matches, the club from the capital currently occupies 12th place in the standings, already trailing league leaders Inter Milan by eight points.