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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Oisin Doherty

Brian Kerr slams 'unseemly' Jose Mourinho antics as Roma lose Europa League final

Brian Kerr has slammed Jose Mourinho for his 'unseemly' behaviour during Roma's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla on Wednesday night.

The Spanish side eventually took home the trophy for a record seven times after a tense penalty shootout, but the game was marred by the antics of both teams and their respective benches.

Referee Anthony Taylor brandished an astonishing 13 yellow cards during the tempestuous game, with Mourinho himself booked for his sideline behaviour.

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Former Republic of Ireland manager Kerr was unimpressed with Mourinho's behaviour and took issue with his team's constant harassing of the referee.

"The haranguing of the referee and officials just isn't nice," said Kerr, who was working as a pundit on Virgin Media's coverage of the game.

"There's been a lot of great football this season. We had a brilliant World Cup final, we've had teams playing above themselves and producing great goals and great moments, and we had a great Premier League this season with fabulous football.

"But this sort of game... I understand defensive football and I understand managers making the best of what they have by playing deep and playing on the counter-attack and so on.

"But all the other bits around it are just unseemly."

Damien Delaney was also unimpressed with the antics of the Roma bench and pestering of the match officials, and took aim at the Roma players for trying to deceive the referee.

"I'll happily sit and watch a team play defensive football, counter-attack and set up to not lose a game. But all this rigmarole that goes with it, the moaning, the scratching, the asking for yellow cards, the diving.

"Pellegrini's dive, an atrocious moment in a final to do that.

"They didn't deserve it for the way they approached the final. Not just tactics-wise, but the bench all night."

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