Bodø/Glimt intend to report Roma goalkeeper coach to the police
Nuno Santos (left) with Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio
Written by Training Ground Guru — April 9, 2022
NORWEGIAN champions Bodø/Glimt say they will report Roma goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos to the police after alleging he grabbed manager Kjetil Knutsen by the throat and pushed him into a wall following the sides’ Europa Conference League quarter-final encounter on Thursday.
Bodø won the first leg match at their Aspmyra stadium 2-1, having previously beaten the Italian giants 6-1 and drawn 1-1 against them in the group stages. Uefa have said they have appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector to conduct a disciplinary investigation into the incident.
Bodø released a strongly-worded statement on Friday, claiming that Uefa were in possession of a video showing Santos grabbing Knutsen by the neck. They demanded that this be made public. The Norwegian side were particularly angry that Roma had attempted to portray Knutsen as the aggressor. The Italian side's captain, Lorenzo Pellegrini, had claimed it was Knutsen who had attacked Santos.
Bodø described the incident as a “systematic attack” on their values.
In the press conference after the game on Thursday night, Knutsen said: “It's an assistant coach who simply behaves like a fool. He starts picking on me before the match and keeps up with the whole match.”
In a subsequent club statement on Friday, Bodø said: “Glimt sees no other choice than to report Nuno Santos to the police on the basis of the physical attack on Kjetil Knutsen.
“Rome is bombarding the media with untruths, in an attempt to hide the unsportsmanlike behaviour. Glimt knows that there is a video of the incident, which shows the attack on Knutsen from representatives of Rome's support staff. The club has seen this video.
"The goalkeeping coach of Roma positioned himself illegally outside the coaching staff, where he continuously - both verbally and with gestures - harassed Knutsen.
“Glimt made the fourth referee and Uefa’s delegate aware of this on several occasions. The complaints were not heeded and Roma's goalkeeping coach was allowed to continue his behaviour unhindered.”
Their General Manager, Frode Thomassen, added: “This is a systematic provocation, manipulation and finally the exercise of physical violence against Kjetil Knutsen. We are confident that an objective body will ignore incorrect claims from Rome's coaching team.”
Knutsen said: “Everything culminated in a physical attack on me in the player tunnel. Usually, by nature, I would withdraw. In this case I was physically attacked. He grabbed me by the neck and pushed me into the wall. It is only natural that I then had to defend myself.
“I play football as it is something I am passionate about and give myself joy. Experiencing unsportsmanlike manipulation up close makes me sad."
In February, Santos was given a two-match ban by the Italian FA for comments made towards the referee during the Serie A game against Verona. During his time in England, with Tottenham, the coach was handed a one-match ban and fined £8,000 for using "abusive or insulting language" towards referee Peter Bankes after a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.
Santos was one of four assistants to join Mourinho at Roma last July, including assistant João Sacramento, fitness coach Carlos Lalin and analyst Giovanni Cerra.
MOURINHO CONTROVERSIES
- Anders Frisk (February 2005): Chelsea manager Mourinho claims he has seen referee Frisk enter the Barcelona dressing room during half time of their last 16 Champions League match against Chelsea. Frisk subsequently retires from refereeing because of threats and abuse received.
- Wenger 'voyeur' (October 2005): Mourinho accuses Wenger of being a "voyeur." The Frenchman threatens legal action, saying Mourinho is "out of order, disconnected with reality and disrespectful."
- Reading ambulance (October 2006): Mourinho accuses Reading's Stephen Hunt of intentionally fouling Petr Cech after Chelsea's keeper suffers a fractured skull following a collision. The Chelsea boss also says it took 30 minutes for paramedics to collect the player. Reading and the Ambulance Service release a minute-by-minute record of the incident, showing that it actually took five minutes for paramedics to arrive and a further seven for the ambulance to come to the players' entrance. They say there were "serious factual inaccuracies" in Mourinho's statements.
- Andrea Ramazzotti (December 2009): Inter boss Mourinho is accused of pushing and insulting the Italian journalist Andrea Ramazzotti following a 1-1 draw against Atalanta. He says he will deal with the matter privately.
- Tito Vilanova eye poke (August 2011: Mourinho, who is now the Real Madrid manager, is caught on camera poking Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye during a melee in the second leg of the Spanish Supercopa at the Nou Camp.
- Rui Faria banned (May 2014): Mourinho's long-time assistant is given a stadium ban for six matches for two offences: "abusive and/ or insulting words towards a fourth official" against Sunderland and "behaviour following the referee's request that he leave the technical area amounted to improper conduct."
- Eva Carneiro (August 2015): Mourinho publicly criticises Chelsea's doctor for going onto the pitch to treat Eden Hazard, saying you "have to understand football." He subsequently banishes her from working at both training and matches. Carneiro left Chelsea six weeks later and filed for constructive dismissal, with the west London club settling out of court.
- Peter Bankes (September 2020): Goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos is given a one-match ban and fined £8,000 for confronting referee after Tottenham's match v Newcastle United.
- Verona refereeing controversy (February 2022): Mourinho and Santos are each banned from the touchline for two match for comments made towards referee Luca Pairetto during a match against Verona.
