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The Portuguese has collected more red cards than anyone else in Serie A this season, and his pathetic petulance is hurting Roma's top-four hopes

In his very first press conference as Roma coach, Jose Mourinho insisted he was a changed man. "I won't be the one going looking for trouble," he promised. "I have more experience now. I'm more solid emotionally."

If that claim sounded borderline comical at the time, it looks downright ridiculous right now.

On Tuesday, Mourinho's Roma were beaten 2-1 at Cremonese, damaging their own hopes of finishing in Serie A's top four, while at the same time gifting a first victory of the season to their hosts.

It was a humiliating result for Mourinho, but his conduct was even more embarrassing.

Shortly after half-time, the Portuguese, incensed by a perceived foul on Marash Kumbulla by Frank Tsadjout, began remonstrating with the fourth official, demanding an explanation for the lack of a free-kick.

It's been reported that Marco Serra told Mourinho to "Mind his own f*cking business" and "Sit down, everyone's taking the p*ss out of you."

Mourinho was only further enraged, probably because he knew that the fourth official was right.

• Mourinho the meme

  One of the most decorated managers in football history, who was both dismissed and suspended for his touchline tantrum, has become a laughing stock, his pathetic petulance now the subject of a multitude of memes.

  We've probably all seen – and laughed at – the gif of Mourinho sitting calmly on the bench before realising a decision has gone against his side and then hurtling towards the fourth official to complain.

  Last season, meanwhile, we were also treated to the 'amusing' image of Mourinho being forced to watch his side's clash with Spezia on an iPad on the team bus having been hit with a two-game ban after being sent off – and kicking the ball away – in a 2-2 draw with Verona.

  However, there's no denying that a decreasing number of people, particularly those working within the game, still see the funny side of Mourinho's behaviour – or that of his backroom team.

  Indeed, it's worth noting that when Mourinho was sent to the stands, he was able to sit alongside Salvatore Fonti, who is still serving a one-month touchline ban for insulting referee Michael Fabbri and threatening a Cremonese director after the two side's previous meeting, in the Coppa Italia.

  And that Roma had two members of their coaching staff suspended at the same time was wholly unsurprising.

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  Mourinho's 'shocking' attitude

  Earlier this season, Mourinho and his assistants disgraced themselves in a shameful spat which saw Roma goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos involved in a physical altercation with Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen.

  Both men claimed self-defence, but both were suspended by UEFA, infuriating Knutsen, who was disgusted by not only by Santos and the suspension, but also Mourinho.

  Knutsen said: "[Mourinho's] type of attitude is shocking. His values and his way of coaching are so far from what I represent. It’s incredibly disappointing to see such behaviour from a coach with so many titles and who has been part of the sport for such a long time."

  Nobody else who has followed Mourinho's career was in the least bit surprised, of course. He has plenty of previous, so there was little shock when he found himself at the centre of another ugly episode just a few days later, when another member of Mourinho's coaching team disgraced himself by mocking Salernitana over their potential relegation from Serie A.

  Mourinho apologised and yet even then couldn't resist a snide comment of his own, with the 59-year-old electing to take yet another shot at Bodo-Glimt.

  "We are civilised people, what happens on the field ends there," he said without a trace of irony. "Nobody will be waiting outside 45 minutes later to punch someone in the face."

  However, Salernitana director Walter Sabatini wasted little time in tackling Mourinho's claim that he and his staff were "civilised", accusing them of "ignoble behaviour".

  “With every refereeing decision, everyone pours onto the pitch from the bench, it’s unjustifiable," he fumed in an interview with . "We can lose to Roma, but not like this.

  "I know full well that as soon as he hears this he will say I’ve never won anything and therefore cannot speak. I have not won 25 trophies, but I am a serious person and deserve respect nonetheless. But I see arrogance [in Mourinho]."

  He's not the only one. In Roma's very next league outing, against Napoli, Mourinho accused the officials of conspiring against his side. An unsurprised Luciano Spalletti simply refused to dignify that claim with a response.

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  The worst disciplinary record in Serie A

  Mourinho's supporters will obviously argue that this was just another masterful move straight out of the Portuguese's playbook, diverting attention away from a shockingly poor performance from his players.

  Certainly, the way in which Mourinho said he didn't want to get into the fact that Serra was from Turin and Roma host Juventus on Sunday while… you know… getting into that fact that Serra was from Turin was classic Jose. The desperate threat of legal action against the fourth official was also typical of the man.

  But the fact of the matter is that Mourinho has now picked up a yellow or red card on eight occasions in less than two years at the Stadio Olimpico.

  What's more, with his third dismissal of the 2022-23 campaign, a 60-year-old man now has the worst disciplinary record in Serie A this season – and not just among coaches, but players too.

  Is that amusing? Perhaps, but it's also arguably a little sad. And undeniably counterproductive.

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  Mourinho incapable of change

  It's worth noting that the Cremonese clash was still 1-1 when Mourinho had his meltdown. He may be a "magician" in terms of his powers of motivation, but he's no use to his players if he's not able to take his seat on the sidelines.

  Red cards aren't really comical. They're costly. Mourinho wasn't there for his team when they needed him on Tuesday. Nor will he be present when they face Juve in a game they could really do with winning to boost their Champions League qualification hopes, as they're in very real danger of being overtaken by a side hit with a 15-point penalty earlier this season.

  One wonders, then, if the joke is beginning to wear a little thin, particularly at Roma.

  They knew, of course, exactly what they were getting when they hired Mourinho. Despite all of the drama that comes with the ex-Chelsea and Manchester United boss, they were drawn to his "passion" and his "personality". He also said he'd grown up, that he'd matured, that he'd change.

  But the truth is that Mourinho is incapable of change, and one wonders how much longer his employers will be willing to put up with this tired old act if it jeopardises their hopes of Champions League football.

  Indeed, it's telling that in spite of the fact that Mourinho did an incredible job rebuilding Roma during his first season at the club, winning the Europa Conference League, there have been constant signs of tension and mounting reports that the club and the coach will go their separate ways this summer if the Giallorossi fail to finish in the top four.

  His suspensions are hardly helping, then. Indeed, as the wrote after his latest sending-off on Tuesday night, "Mourinho certainly doesn't give peace of mind."

  Neither to the team nor the board.

The French bounced back from losing the Euro 2016 final by doing one better at the World Cup in Russia

France won their second World Cup title in 2018 as they beat Croatia 4-2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Les Bleus won six out of their seven World Cup games to be crowned champions, defeating Argentina (4-3), Uruguay (2-0) and Belgium (1-0) in the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

The final between France and Croatia saw the champions take the lead in the 18th minute via Mario Mandzukic’s own goal.

Croatia came back into the match with Ivan Perisic’s strike in the 28th minute, though. 

France eventually took the match away from the Croatians when Antoine Griezmann converted a penalty in the 38th minute and then Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe scored in the 59th and 65th minute respectively.

Mandzukic then scored a consolation goal for his side late on.

Who were France’s World Cup winning players and what has happened to them since?

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  Hugo Lloris – Goalkeeper

  France's No.1 has been playing for Tottenham Hotspur since 2012, having previously represented the likes of Nice and Lyon in Ligue 1.

  He has had some difficult moments in recent years at both club and international level, but remains the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for Spurs and France.

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  Benjamin Pavard – Right-back

  When you say Pavard, you say wondergoal against Argentina. An absolute beauty of a strike. Period.

  The versatile defender played for Lille and Stuttgart before joining Bayern Munich in 2019, where he currently plies his trade.

  Pavard is no longer quite the undisputed starter he once was at Bayern following the arrival of Noussair Mazraoui, but remains an important first-team member at the Bundesliga giants.

  At international level, he continues to be the main man down the right, whether that's in a traditional right-back role or slightly higher up the pitch in a 3-4-3 formation.

• Raphael Varane – Centre-back

  The defender joined Real Madrid from Lens in 2011 and spent 10 seasons at the club, before he moved to Manchester United in 2021.

  After a somewhat underwhelming first season at Old Trafford, Varane is now a key figure at the back alongside Lisandro Martinez, with manager Erik ten Hag preferring him over Harry Maguire.

  Varane made his international debut for France in 2013, was an integral part of the World Cup-winning side in 2018 and remains one of the first names on the teamsheet for Didier Deschamps to date.

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  Samuel Umtiti – Centre-back

  The centre-back's career had been on a bit of a downward trajectory ever since lifting the World Cup.

  He delayed knee surgery to play at the World Cup and never really recovered fully afterwards.

  Barcelona eventually managed to send him out on loan to Lecce in 2022 after repeatedly trying to get him off the books due to his excessive wages.

  There's no denying Umtiti in his prime was one of the best left-footed defenders around in the game, though.

The Red Devils have worn some iconic kits over the years but which one is your favourite?

Manchester United have launched their new home kit for the 2022-23 season and it's fair to say it's something a little bit different!

The iconic red shirt has been worn by numerous legendary players over the years, from Eric Cantona to Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham to Wayne Rooney, with the strip having undergone quite a few changes over the last three decades.

GOAL takes a look back through the archives to spotlight all the home shirts the Red Devils have worn since 1992. Check it.

We independently choose all products featured on our site. We may earn a commission when you purchase something through the links provided.

• Watch: Iconic Man Utd kits from the last 30 years 🎥

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  1992-94

  Umbro has created some classic kits over the years and this one is no exception. The lace-up V-neck and bold collar are as retro as you can get with a football shirt.

  Get the 1992-94 Manchester United home kit from Footy Classics

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  1994-96

  Worn by the likes of Eric Cantona and a fresh-faced David Beckham, the black collar and subtle shirt print are the main features of the 1994-96 United home kit.

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  1996-98

  The checkerboard on the sleeves and subtle print on the 1996-98 home shirt is an instant throwback to the classic style of retro football shirts.

  Get the 1996-98 Manchester United home shirt from Vintage Football Shirts

Leeds could get Marcelo Bielsa’s dream signing if they can clinch a stunning move for Wolves winger Adama Traore.

Victor Orta knows him

Traore is a familiar name to one person behind the scenes at Elland Road, with Victor Orta of course the sporting director at Middlesborough when he brought him in to Riverside.

Now, 90min claim that Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in making a move for the Spain international, and that with both his contracts talks with Wolves stalling, and his lack of game-time, the Whites could come swooping in.

It’s suggested that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could demand more than double the £18m they paid to sign him themselves, and that could see a valuation of around £40m were he to leave in January.

Bielsa’s dream signing

Whilst the thought of signing yet another winger who can play on the right-hand side might raise a few eyebrows, Traore is the kind of game-changer than any manager in the Premier League would love, not least Bielsa.

The Argentine has built a formidable Leeds side brimming with pace and intensity, and nobody encapsulates that more than Wolves’ speed demon. Described as being “unplayable” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Traore’s ability to play as a right wing-back and as a right winger makes him the absolute perfect fit for the kind of fluid football Bielsa wants his team to play.

Incredibly strong and fast, the Spanish flier is the kind of player who fans no doubt love to watch. His 100mph style, and his ability to go through the gears so quickly could add another dimension to Leeds’ attack and set Elland Road on fire.

His whopping average of five dribbles per game in the Premier League last season was the highest of any player in the division, and that directness is surely something Bielsa would absolutely love.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa could axe this Leeds star already.

Goal ranks the best players born on or after January 1, 1999 in terms of their performances and achievements during the current calendar year

• 15Sandro Tonali (Italy)

  One can only hope that Sandro Tonali is as famously adept at dealing with pressure as Andrea Pirlo because the 18-year-old is currently being touted as the Italian icon's heir. 

  The comparisons are grossly premature but wholly understandable. Not only is Tonali an elegant young regista learning his craft at Brescia, he even sports an eerily similar haircut to Pirlo's!

  Just like Pirlo, Tonali also looks set to move on to one of Italy's elite clubs, with Inter, Juventus and AC Milan all enamoured with the teenager's tremendous talent.

  Italy boss Roberto Mancini is also a fan, having called the Lodi native into his squad for last month's games against Portugal and USA in spite of the fact that Tonali is still plying his trade in Serie B. 

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  14Phil Foden (England)

  Pep Guardiola has put together arguably the greatest team in Premier League history at Manchester City. That Phil Foden is now an established member of this stellar squad at just 18 is testament to the Stockport native's immense talent.

  This year alone, the versatile and classy midfielder has become the youngest recipient of a winners' medal in Premier League history, broken into the England Under-21 squad and scored his first goal in professional football. 

  "This guy is so special, a City fan and he loves the club," Guardiola recently said of Foden, who extended his contract until 2024 earlier this month.  "You see it in his behaviour and every single action. He is already a great, great football player."

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  13Ryan Sessegnon (England)

  On October 20, Ryan Sessegnon became the first player born in or after 2000 to score in the Premier League. 

  It capped what has been a fantastic year for the dynamic full-back, who helped propel Fulham to promotion last season with a whopping 15 goals in the Championship.

  Sessegnon has not proven quite so prolific in the top flight, and even he himself has admitted that he has found the going tough at times.

  However, the 18-year-old continues to impress with his pace and versatility (he has already played in four different positions this term) and it still seems only a matter of time before a player former Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic has compared to Real Madrid left-back Marcelo joins a 'Big Six' club.

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  12Diego Lainez (Mexico)

  Club America are doing their utmost to carefully manage both Diego Lainez and the mounting hype surrounding the diminutive 18-year-old.

  The word is already out, though, that 'The Mexican Messi' is a special talent and Roma recently had a bid rejected for a tricky left winger who can also play on the right-hand side, or as a No.10.

  Indeed, even though he has not yet established himself as a regular starter at club level, Lainez has now been capped twice by Mexico's national team, even starting the September clash with USA. 

  "He's a great player, an extraordinary player," Club America boss Miguel Herrera recently enthused "He's going to make the difference for us in the future."

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After a succession of incredibly dramatic matches, Goal picks out its top performers from this season's round of 16

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  Hugo Lloris | Tottenham

  The Frenchman was the only goalkeeper in the entire competition to keep two clean sheets in the Champions League last 16, shutting out Borussia Dortmund's dangerous attack as Tottenham advanced to the quarter-finals 4-0 on aggregate.

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  Gerard Pique | Barcelona

  Barcelona's defensive talisman proved his worth at both ends of the pitch as the Catalans swept to a 5-1 aggregate victory over Lyon. 

  Not only did Pique help restrict OL to just a single goal over 180 minutes, he also popped up to score Barca's fourth of the second leg by latching on to Lionel Messi's pass at the far post.

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  Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool

  The Netherlands international has been immense for Liverpool since joining from Southampton last year and he once again made the difference against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

  After missing the first leg at Anfield through suspension, Van Dijk returned to devastating effect. Not only did the Dutch defender net a towering and crucially timed header in a fine 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena, he also marked Robert Lewandowski out of the game.

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• Jan Vertonghen | Tottenham

  Vertonghen put in two impeccable defensive displays for Spurs as they saw off the challenge of Dortmund with ease. 

  The Belgian additionally contributed a goal and an assist in the first leg, showing off the full range of his abilities.

Glasgow Rangers return to Europa League action on Thursday night, as they take on Standard Liege, on the back of their last European outing where Benfica stunned Steven Gerrard’s side with a late comeback

Gerrard has somewhat of an injury crisis to deal with ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Liege as he will be without Filip Helander and Nathan Patterson, whilst Ryan Jack remains a major doubt, and Brandon Barker faces a race against time to prove his match fitness too.

However, he has indicated that Joe Aribo is expected to be fit, and he may take the opportunity to rotate his squad ahead of a busy schedule in the coming weeks and months.

The 54-time Scottish champions cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win over the Belgians last time out and Gerrard will be hoping for the same result as the Gers seek to qualify for the last 32 of the competition.

Former Sunderland stopper Jon McLaughlin may be pushing for a recall, but we’ve given Allan McGregor our backing to resume his rightful place between the sticks as he has been trusted for most Europa League games so far this season.

It’s hard to imagine there will be any changes to the back four, as Helander and Patterson are out, so James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Borna Barisic are likely to keep their places in the starting line-up.

Youngsters Ciaran Dickson and Leon King will be hoping for some more minutes after debuting from the bench against Falkirk in the Betfred Cup last weekend.

Alfredo Morelos has been the Ibrox boss’ trusted man for the big occasion, but the Colombian has largely been out of sorts as of late, with a tally of just one goal and an assist to his name in his past five games in all competitions.

Gerrard has demonstrated a ruthless streak in recent months as so he could be benched from the start ahead of Sunday’s clash with Premiership rivals Ross County, leaving Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten as contenders to lead the line.

Whilst Itten has struggled for consistency so far this season, Roofe went viral after a wonder goal against Standard Liege from inside his own half, so is likely to lead the line.

As we’ve mentioned previously, Gerrard could be tempted to bring in Ianis Hagi on the right, so switching Roofe up front and replacing Barker with Ryan Kent on the left makes the most sense.

Glasgow Rangers predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): McGregor, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Arfield, Davis, Kamara, Hagi, Roofe, Kent.

AND in other news, Brandon Barker’s potential knock could force Steven Gerrard to give Ianis Hagi the time to shine…

Two old adversaries are set to lock horns again at Camp Nou on Sunday, but which members of their respective squads are pulling in the most money?

Clasico rivalries will be rekindled this weekend when newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona welcome Real Madrid to Catalunya.

There will be no guard of honour for Ernesto Valverde’s side at Camp Nou, with two old adversaries having exchanged barbs this season when it comes to acknowledging the achievements of the other.

Plenty of superstars will be on show, however, with the eternal battle for global supremacy between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo set to open another chapter.

It comes as no surprise to find that two men with 10 Ballons d’Or between them will be the best-paid performers to take to the field on Sunday, but who joins them on the Clasico rich list?

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  25Andre Gomes | Barcelona | £80,000-a-week

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  24Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid | £85,000-a-week

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  23Keylor Navas | Real Madrid | £85,000-a-week

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• 22Paco Alcacer | Barcelona | £90,000-a-week

Glasgow Rangers defender Leon Balogun will be an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s plans for beating Benfica in the Europa League, with the Light Blues centre-back keeping Sam Cosgrove in his back pocket throughout the game against Aberdeen at the weekend.

Rangers welcome Benfica to Ibrox on Thursday night and will be looking to extend their unbeaten start to the season, with the Gers throwing away a two-goal lead to draw with the 10-man Portuguese giants in Lisbon last time out as Filip Helander had a night to forget in Portugal.

Gerrard’s side stormed 11 points clear of Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, after goals from Ryan Kent, Kemar Roofe, Scott Arfield and James Tavernier helped the Bears beat Aberdeen at home.

The result keeps the Gers atop the league table with a healthy lead over their arch-rivals, whilst Benfica were beaten by Braga in a 3-2 defeat before the international break, which saw them slip to third in the table with two wins from their last five fixtures in all competitions.

Rafa Silva struck the second of the Eagles’ goals in the second half to keep them in the game against the Gers, before Darwin Nunez scored in stoppage time to ensure that Jorge Jesus’ side will be brimming with confidence when they travel to Ibrox on Thursday night.

Silva has scored three goals and supplied four assists in ten games so far this season, as he continues to shine for the Portuguese side since his arrival from Braga, now with a tally of 40 goals and 26 assists to his name.

Gerrard will be well aware of the threat the right winger poses and will know that neutralising the 27-year-old will be pivotal to securing victory, but he should be buoyed by the fact that Balogun played an instrumental part as the Gers kept their 17th clean sheet in all competitions against Aberdeen.

Per SofaScore, the 32-year-old was a ballast at the back, combining with Connor Goldson to restrict the Dons to just three shots on target throughout the game, as he made two interceptions, won three out of four ground duels, was fouled twice, and won the penalty which was converted by the club captain, showing he was a useful attacking asset as well as he took 83 touches of the ball and completed 68 out of 76 passes (89%).

Gerrard made no attempt to disguise his delight after Balogun returned to the starting line-up against Lech Poznan in the Europa League, describing him as a “fantastic” beast who is “very quick,” as quoted by The Herald.

In contrast, it’s fair to say that Helander has struggled for consistency so far this season, whilst he was at fault for two of the goals against the Eagles.

No doubt the Ibrox boss will be hoping that Balogun can continue his fine form in recent weeks when Rangers face Benfica at Ibrox this Thursday.

AND in other news, Zungu beware: Glasgow Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield sends Steven Gerrard timely reminder…

Scotland were in action for the final time this international break on Wednesday evening and Celtic’s Callum McGregor featured the full 90 as Steve Clarke’s side defeated the Czech Republic.

But the 27-year-old’s display was overshadowed by one of his teammates, former Hoops target John McGinn.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2018, the midfielder revealed that he had his “heart set” on a move to Celtic Park but after two months of negotiations going nowhere, he eventually joined Premier League side Aston Villa for just £2.75m.

That’s quite a small fee considering and going by his most recent display, it’s something Peter Lawwell should have paid up.

Per SofaScore, the former Hibs maestro recorded five successful dribbles, three interceptions, three key passes and one tackle. As a result, he clocked a 7.5 match rating in comparison to McGregor’s 6.8.

The £14.4m-rated midfielder has been a hugely impressive figure for Villa in the past 18 months or so, taking to the Premier League like a duck to water.

Last season, McGinn directly contributed to six goals whilst averaging two shots, 1.9 dribbles, 1.9 tackles and 1.3 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which only goes to show his industrious nature.

Former Bhoys boss Gordan Strachan once lauded the 25-year-old as a “top, top player” whilst John Terry believes the Scotsman is a “real top talent”.

Given the age of veteran skipper Scott Brown and the uncertainty surrounding the future of Olivier Ntcham at Parkhead, you can’t help but feel that Lawwell has made one catastrophic error here.

Perhaps, it’s as bad a decision as he’s ever made in Glasgow – even worse than his refusal to sign Steven Fletcher in 2009 and the sale of Aiden McGeady less than two years later.

One of those aforementioned decisions cost them an SPFL title but nothing could have prepared them for life without Broony than signing a player of McGinn’s calibre.

The very fact that his value has gone from £2.75m to over £14m in just a couple of seasons speaks volumes.

AND in other news, Celtic should revisit summer target after likely Moi Elyounoussi blow…