Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho launched a scathing attack on VAR official Paolo Mazzoleni after his side were held to a goalless draw by Lyon in the Europa League.
Mourinho was furious with the Italian official, claiming he failed to correctly assess two key incidents involving Lyon defender Saël Kumbedi.
READ: Who is Arda Guler? The 18-year-old ‘Turkish Messi’ Wanted by Europe’s Biggest Clubs
The first incident saw Kumbedi escape with just a yellow card for a strong challenge on Sebastian Szymański. “The referee made a mistake by giving just a yellow card to Kumbedi for the foul on Szymański,” Mourinho said. “The VAR is there to help the referee when the referee makes a mistake and he didn’t call him, because if the referee goes to the screen he gives the red card.”
Mourinho highlighted the inconsistency of VAR, pointing out that it was correctly used to overturn a red card shown to Lyon’s Moussa Niakhaté for a challenge on Irfan Can Kahveci.
The Portuguese manager also criticized Kumbedi for a second strong challenge on Szymański in the second half, which he believed should have resulted in a second yellow card and a subsequent red card.
The goalless draw leaves Fenerbahce facing an uphill battle to qualify for the next stage of the Europa League.
“We are in trouble at this moment to qualify,” Mourinho admitted. “Nine points may or may not be enough. It’s still in our hands but right now in Europe, it’s difficult for us because we are short of players. We don’t have right-backs, we don’t have left-backs, we don’t have midfielders but we will have 11 guys fighting for the result and I’m hopeful that we can do it.”
Mourinho concluded by highlighting the potential impact of recent signings on his team’s future prospects. “We have one team now and we will have another team if we get through,” he said. “Imagine this team with Škriniar, Diego Carlos, Kostić, it’s a completely different team.”
