Jose Mourinho has praised the inspirational form of Paolo Dybala and has insisted that Roma are ‘evolving’ and ‘growing mentally’ and ahead of the visit from La Liga side Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
The first leg of the Round of 16 tie against the Spanish outfit kicks off at 17.45 GMT at the Stadio Olimpico.
During his pre-match press conference, Mourinho was full of praise for his opponents and appeared cautious of the threats that the Basque side might pose.
“They are a great team,” he said. “Honestly, it’s difficult to find weaknesses. Alguacil is a very good coach. It’s not easy to score against him, they have technically good players, too.”
“Being fourth in La Liga behind three giants says a lot. It’s a really quality team, we were unlucky in the draw, but when you’re in a top-quality edition of the Europa League like this is, it’s always difficult. But they will look at us with the same respect that we have for them.”
Whilst hoping to progress to the last eight of the competition, Mourinho has insisted that his Roma side are still a work in progress, although claims that they are growing ever-stronger both in Europe and in Serie A.
“Last year we finished sixth, the first year seventh,” he reminded the press. “Those sorts of rankings don’t help you. When you finish sixth, seventh or eighth, it doesn’t allow you to live with the pressure you need. Your body and mind get used to the tranquillity of not being subjected to that sort of pressure, but we are evolving.
“In my first year we lost twice against Milan, Inter and Juve. This year we beat Inter and Juve and drew with Milan. I think the team is growing mentally. Continuity of winning three games in a row a week is where we still struggle.”
A major highlight in Roma’s recent rebuild has come in the form of the diminutive Argentine, Paolo Dybala.
The 29-year-old has arguably been the Giallorossi’s most important player over the course of this season, having scored 12 and assisted on seven occasions in his 25 games across all competitions, including goals in the league, Europa League and Coppa Italia.
Mourinho was full of praise for Dybala, adding that: “The fact that he’s doing so well is credit to Paulo, his teammates and the staff. He has found himself in an empathetic group and feels the love of the fans.
“I only help him physically. He feels important because he is important to us. He is not a reborn Paulo, rather renewed in his motivations. He deserves all the praise he gets.”
In contrast, England international Tammy Abraham has not been quite as productive in front of goal this campaign.
However, Mourinho believes that the 25-year-old centre-forward is still capable of returning to the high-performance levels he showed during the 2021-22 season.
“I understand that he can score more goals, but the important thing is the contribution he makes to the team and in the 15 minutes he played against Juve, he did well. Belotti, too. If they didn’t play well in Cremona it’s because the team didn’t play well.
“Against Juve both did a great job for the team. It is a unique week in Abraham’s life given that his first child was born. For me, I have enough for my forwards to work well for the team.”