Jose Mourinho was full of praise for his Roma players and lashed out at both some fans and the media. ‘I am disappointed people do not give these lads the credit for all they are doing in very difficult circumstances.’
The Giallorossi were stretched very thin after Thursday’s Europa League defeat to RB Salzburg, with Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini injured, then Tammy Abraham went off just 15 minutes in with a knock to his left eye.
It was Ola Solbakken who decided the match with Verona at the Stadio Olimpico, finishing a well-worked passing move on Leonardo Spinazzola’s back-heel flick, the Norwegian celebrating his first start for the club.
After the final whistle, Mourinho gathered the entire squad around him in a huddle on the pitch and gave his post-match talk there rather than in the locker room.
“I congratulated all those who won, and all of them won. I think only Dybala and Darboe, and Tammy who went to hospital, weren’t there in the huddle.
“They won with team spirit, an incredible spirit of sacrifice, they played very well in the only way we can play against Verona, who make it very difficult to build moves. It is a very deserved victory for the lads, who really sacrificed themselves.
“I can say five or six of them played in Austria, Karsdorp hadn’t played for over two months, Spinazzola was coming off an injury, Bove was playing on a plastic pitch last season, Belotti only had a few bits of games, Solbakken is learning to play with us and get to know our team tactically, El Shaarawy has not played two games in a row for years, now he plays four or five whole matches until he is completely exhausted.
“Zalewski plays on the right, the left, the strikers move around too, I think people do not recognise what this team deserves.”
Mourinho refused to take questions from the studio, but did speak to the interviewer on site.
“Belotti had a fantastic game and for all his hard work, he deserved to score a goal today. There was an incredible save from Montipò and that would’ve been 2-0. I couldn’t be happier with the lads.
“I am just disappointed people do not give these lads the credit for the work we are all doing in very difficult circumstances. Either they don’t understand or they don’t want to understand the circumstances. I am grateful for everything they are doing.
“When the stadium is sold out like against Bodo/Glimt, then the stadium can win us the game. When it’s like today, it is a pity. People start jeering after 15-30 minutes over a misplaced pass. They do not understand what we are doing here.
“I said to Roma TV that when people look at our right-back, he is not Cafu or Maicon. If I am a Roma fan, I should carry Bove on my shoulders, because he is more of a Roma fan than they are. When I arrived, he was about to go on loan to a Serie C team, instead he is starting for Roma.
“You in general in the media are not helping. The others are phenomenons, we win because we are lucky or have set plays. I am old, I am 60 and have won plenty, I don’t need nice words. These lads, they need the nice words. They need praise.
“I am not here to criticise anyone, the fans should be there criticising me as the coach, but I have to protect my lads and they deserve more.”
This 1-0 win was their fourth consecutive Serie A home victory without conceding, something not achieved by Roma since Rudi Garcia’s six in November 2014.
It also allows them to stay level with Milan in joint third place, breaking away from Atalanta.
Mourinho was asked if this Roma side is doing better than he expected at the start of the season or better than he expected considering the quality of the squad.
“I have much to say then, but now is not the moment to talk. I have not given interviews in my year and a half here. I only speak to you on TV because I am obligated to do so and the club will get fined otherwise, but I gave zero interviews.
“Once we get to the end of the season, then I will talk.”