Mancini criticises Serie A referees
Roberto Mancini has blasted the Serie A referees after his and Felipe Melo's sending off against Bologna.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d9ebxyiBx9fbTNHgn8pqDM.jpg)
Inter coach Roberto Mancini has criticised Serie A refereeing following Felipe Melo's red card against Bologna on Tuesday.
Melo received two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes for challenges on Emanuele Giaccherini and Luca Rizzo respectively as Inter picked up a 1-0 away win over Bologna.
Mauro Icardi scored the only goal of the game on 67 minutes, with the win moving Inter to the top of the table.
Mancini blasted the decision to show Melo a second yellow, claiming the competition's officials are giving out too many cards.
"I didn't agree with Felipe Melo's sending off, but you can hardly expect me to," Mancini said. "The referees are dishing out too many cards. We can't send off players for fouls like that otherwise the game will never improve.
"This is the third match we've had to play a man light. We can't go on like this – games should be played 11 v 11. The same thing happened at Palermo, where Murillo should never have been given a second yellow."
Mancini himself was sent off for dissent in stoppage time but the 50-year-old believes he did nothing wrong.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"As for my own sending off, you'll have to ask the referee about that because I said nothing wrong at all."
![LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 5: Arne Slot Manager of Liverpool congratulates Mohamed Salah of Liverpool after the 4-0 victory during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Liverpool FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Anfield on November 5, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q3ie7X2vDDiU7X6C9HVRK7-840-80.jpg)
‘The pure simplicity of the way Slot has managed the squad is probably the biggest thing I could say about him. It’s not broken, so let’s get on with it’: Liverpool legend full of admiration for Jurgen Klopp's successor at Anfield
![CARDIFF, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 02: Wales captain Ryan Giggs shakes the hand of manager John Toshack after being substituted on his last International appearance for his country during the Euro 2008 Group D Qualifying Match between Wales and Czech Republic at the Millennium Stadium on June 2, 2007 in Cardiff, Wales. Photo by (Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ooQ9oNmgvfUUG8TBUhn6BK-840-80.jpg)
‘I trained at Spurs and thought they’d give me a chance. But I received a letter thanking me but saying they didn’t think I was good enough – I was gutted’: How Tottenham missed out on signing Wales legend John Toshack