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AS Roma skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini pulled one straight out of the Jose Mourinho playbook last night, earning a yellow card for timewasting after he was subbed off.
The Giallorossi beat Sampdoria 1-0 away from home, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan notching the only goal of the game in the 27th minute.
But there was a genius bit of s**thousery from captain Pellegrini in the dying embers as Roma defended their lead.
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In the 93rd minute, both Pellegrini and Sergio Oliveira were replaced by Eduardo Bove and Marash Kumbulla.
But the Italian midfielder took an absolute age to leave the pitch. At first he put the armband on for Gianluca Mancini as the referee hurried him off the field of play.
He then proceeded to pull down his sock and remove one of his shinpads and then went a step further by attempting to untie his laces.
However, Pellegrini was stopped in his tracks and promptly booked by the official.
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But he and Mourinho will not have been all that fussed as although the former Sassuolo man will be suspended for the visit of Salernitana, he will then be available for huge games against Napoli and Inter Milan.
You can't help but feel that the yellow card was planned by Mourinho and his captain.
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After all, he infamously got Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to receive red cards in November 2010 against Ajax.
Real were already into the knockout stages and so he instructed the pair to get second yellows.
Already on a booking, he purposely took an absolute age to take a free-kick and was given his marching orders.
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Ramos then decided to take one of Iker Casillas' goal-kicks and he too was guilty of time-wasting - leading to a second yellow and subsequent dismissal.
Mourinho received a touchline ban, the red cards stood, and a number of fines were handed out.
Featured Image Credit: Image: Optus SportTopics: AS Roma, Jose Mourinho, Serie A
