Ranieri Critiques Referee Stieler After Draw Against Porto

After the 1-1 draw in the Europa League against FC Porto, AS Roma’s coach Claudio Ranieri expressed strong criticism of German referee Tobias Stieler. „It was a miracle we didn’t lose. We were naive with some yellow cards, but my God, I’ve never seen anything like it,“ said the 73-year-old, adding with irony, „It was fantastic. A bullfight.“

Eight players from Roma were cautioned, with Bryan Cristante receiving a second yellow card in the 72nd minute. Ranieri also accused Stieler of waiting to give a penalty.

Hummels on the Bench

In the playoff first leg, which AS player Mats Hummels watched entirely from the bench, Roma took the lead in stoppage time of the first half, but Porto equalized midway through the second half after a counterattack. Immediately after the final whistle, Ranieri stormed onto the field, sending his players to the locker room with an angry glare. „They should not say goodbye to the referee. He didn’t deserve it,“ explained Ranieri regarding his behavior.

Prior to Porto’s equalizer, Roma had a corner, and Ranieri intended to make a substitution. „We informed the fourth official, but he didn’t communicate it to the referee. I don’t know why. They played quickly and scored,“ concluded the Italian.