Roma midfielder Nemanja Matic is ‘proud’ to play for José Mourinho and suggests he wants to follow in the Special One’s footsteps: ‘For sure, I will be a manager in the Premier League.’
The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder reunited with Mourinho last summer joining Roma as a free agent after the end of his contract with the Red Devils.
“I really enjoy it here. I like the club, I like the conditions that we have to perform so I’m very happy. We play some good football,” he told Sky Sports UK.
“We are fighting for the top four in the league and we’re also in the semi-finals of the Europa League so I’m looking forward to the end of the season and we’ll see what happens.”
This is the third time he has worked with Mourinho after spells at Chelsea and Manchester United, so how has the Special One changed?
“He’s more experienced, but Jose never changes,” said the experienced midfielder.
“It depends on the situation and the players he has in the team, but he knows very well his job. When you know him well he’s funny, and every player that plays under him will say the same.
“He’s a fantastic manager who has won so many trophies. He always wants to win more and. I have to say that I’m proud to play for him. Sometimes it is not easy, he’s never happy and always wants to win more and wants you to improve every day, but I like that.”
Roma won their first major European trophy last season, the Conference League, and have now reached the Europa League semi-finals, where they will face Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
“I think that would be something amazing and we’ll all do our best to achieve that because we have the best supporters in Italy and they deserve that,” said Matic.
The ex-Manchester United midfielder was also asked his thoughts on his English teammates Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham.
“Chris is a fantastic player, very experienced and for me he’s one of the most important players in the team. I’m very surprised he’s not in the England squad, but the manager chooses the team.
“For our club, it is better he has more time to rest during the international break. He’s doing very well here, everyone loves him and he’s a great professional and a great player. He’s a great man off the pitch and I’m very happy to be sharing a dressing room with him again.”
Abraham “is a young player who is still improving. He’s not scoring like he did last season, but everything can change in the last month. Now we have the most important games of the season and he just needs to believe, continue to work, and the goals will come.”
Matic’s former club Manchester United have been linked with a summer move for Serie A’s best scorer Victor Osimhen, and Matic revealed what it is like to face the Napoli star: “If the team performs well it is easier for the attacking players to jump out and show his quality and be a star. Napoli are playing good football, Osimhen is scoring goals and when strikers score goals everyone talks about them, but no one talks about defenders and that is a problem for us at the back.”
Matic’s contract at the Stadio Olimpico expires in June 2024, but he already has clear plans for his future.
“I’ve already decided I will be a manager one day. I’m doing my coaching licence, but at the moment I’m very focused on playing football. I feel good, fresh, and I think I still have another couple of years in my legs. But for sure, I will be a manager in the Premier League.”