Why is the silence from Friedkin and the company after Budapest even more painful than the referee’s mistake itself? After all, when one suffers an injustice, at least the comfort of mom and dad is expected. And yet, nothing. Mourinho was left alone. We thought we saw Mourinho – without the sweet voice of Titti, though. The outburst of Claudio Ranieri following the match against Porto was a godsend for a community which was getting too soft on matters unrelated to the Romanista fandom. Brother Claudio (better than a Sir in certain instances), on the other hand, has taken us back to where The Special One had left us in Budapest. With that desire to have someone who represents the indignation and anger for the umpteenth arbitrary slap-in-the-face treatment. Someone who defends the right to win or lose based on merits or demerits on the field. Why, when recalling the semi-finals and finals of Roma in European competitions, we should also remember what has been taken away: from the penalties denied against Liverpool in 2018 to the scandal of Taylor in Budapest, culminating in the card frenzy from Stieler with Porto. Sandwiched between these are numerous, significant snubs (one particularly occurred in Porto, 2019). Deprivation of deserved pleasures. Even for a Rome that is no longer as grand as it once was. Even their titles and cups were snatched from them. Now, however, the most odious of mistakes must not be repeated: that of leaving Ranieri alone. Why after Budapest, the silence of the Friedkin and the company was more painful than the referee’s mistake itself. After all, when one suffers an injustice, at the very least an embrace from mom and dad is expected. And yet, nothing. Mourinho was left standing alone. The goal always remains the same: UEFA and Rosetti. And who cares about the financial fair play agreements (which invariably tend to hamstring Roma) or relationships with the top brass. Ranieri has sent a clear message: “Why appoint referees like these?”. Like Stieler, like Taylor, like Garcia Aranda, like van der Ende, like Spirin, like Skomina, like Fredriksson. “But even as Rosetti himself (there are so many previous instances that they deserve a separate article, you will read about it in the next few hours). Once upon a time, even the presidents used to wonder.” They demanded an answer. Perhaps it wasn’t coming, but they certainly weren’t staying silent. Now that even a Lord like Ranieri has lost his grip, someone in Texas might start asking questions. Mourinho wasn’t crazy and neither were the fans. Roma must be respected, regardless of whether it’s deemed great or not.