Jose Mourinho openly blamed one player for Roma’s 1-1 draw with Sassuolo. ‘The efforts of the team were betrayed by the attitude of one unprofessional player.’
The Giallorossi were held to a stalemate at the Mapei Stadium when Tammy Abraham broke his two-month Serie A goal drought, but Andrea Pinamonti equalised from close range five minutes later.
“We had a good performance, with a positive, professional, serious attitude. The last two days were difficult,” Mourinho told DAZN after Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the Derby della Capitale.
“It was a team that wanted to win against a tough opponent, I am sorry that the efforts of the team were betrayed by the attitude of one unprofessional player. You didn’t see me talking that way about Roger Ibanez against Lazio, because errors are part of the game, his attitude was never a problem.
“An unprofessional attitude that is not fair to his teammates, that is what disappoints me. A point away from home is still not a negative result and I am happy with the general attitude of my squad.”
When asked who had got the wrong attitude and betrayed his teammates, Mourinho refused to say.
“I won’t tell you. I had 16 players on the field tonight and I liked the attitude of 15 of them. I told the other than he had this attitude today only and not always. Now we want to close this period of the season with three points.
“In January, he needs to find himself another club.”
According to the Corriere dello Sport, the player in question was Rick Karsdorp.
Roma were again fairly toothless upfront, missing both Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala, so Cristian Volpato started behind the striker Eldor Shomurodov.
“I cannot ask too much from a child like Volpato who plays for the youth team, I cannot expect him to illuminate everything he touches, but he did well. Obviously, I am happy, he has talent, but I cannot expect him to put the team on his shoulders.”
Abraham broke his two-month goal drought in Serie A when coming off the bench.
“I asked Tammy, why today this attitude and not before? Aside from the goal, he won duels, he put his body in the way, created space, went deep to get the ball. He had a good game.”