Pietro Lo Monaco, who famously said Jose Mourinho should be struck in the teeth, said Roma must be prepared for ‘a bloodbath on the transfer market.’
The pair famously clashed back in Mourinho’s Inter days when Lo Monaco was the director of sport at Sicilian club Catania.
“I didn’t expect this at all, because the newspapers were all talking about Maurizio Sarri at Roma and he’d make more sense to continue the style of football that Paulo Fonseca adopted,” Lo Monaco told GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Pietro Lo Monaco, who famously said Jose Mourinho should be struck in the teeth, said Roma must be prepared for ‘a bloodbath on the transfer market.’
The pair famously clashed back in Mourinho’s Inter days when Lo Monaco was the director of sport at Sicilian club Catania.
“I didn’t expect this at all, because the newspapers were all talking about Maurizio Sarri at Roma and he’d make more sense to continue the style of football that Paulo Fonseca adopted,” Lo Monaco told GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
“It may well be a good move for Roma, but it brings with it a series of consequences. Jose certainly isn’t one who excels for his work on the pitch, especially not as much as you’d think considering his fame as a coach.
“On the other hand, he is very good at motivating the team and keeping everyone united, so that leaks and gossip are kept out of the locker room. Fabio Capello was similar in that sense and it’s no coincidence Roma won the Scudetto with him.”
However, Lo Monaco is certainly not impressed by this choice, or the arrival of Tiago Pinto as director of sport.
“I don’t understand why the Roma owners seem so won over by Portuguese football. With all due respect, I hardly think it’s better than Italian. If they really want to look abroad, why not go for someone who can be truly transformative, like Marcelo Bielsa?
“In any case, if you bring in a coach like Mourinho, be prepared for a bloodbath on the transfer market. Jose needs his team, so players of a certain level, who at this moment Roma don’t have.”
Some suggested that Roma were trying to copy the successful Antonio Conte model by hiring Mourinho.
“While Conte is a little more diplomatic, we can expect Mourinho to increase the rows that Italian fans seem to love so much. Mourinho knows he has to at least qualify for the Champions League.”
Lo Monaco famously once said that Mourinho should be ‘struck in the teeth, because he is someone who does not respect his opponents, nor the nation that is hosting him’ during one of their many public exchanges of insults.
“Aside from my ideas about him, Mourinho does not represent a special opponent for me. My Catania’s 3-1 win over the Treble-winning Inter is unforgettable.”