Jose Mourinho blasted English referee Anthony Taylor for ‘seeming Spanish’ during the Europa League Final defeat to Sevilla, denied he’s in talks with PSG, but ‘cannot objectively say I’ll remain’ at Roma.
The Giallorossi had taken the lead at the Puskas Arena in Budapest through Paulo Dybala, who surprisingly was passed fit to start the match and only lasted 67 minutes after that ankle sprain last month.
Gianluca Mancini had a nightmare, as the Jesus Navas cross bounced off his shin for the equaliser, and he also missed one of the penalties in the shoot-out.
“What I said is we either leave here with the Cup or we leave dead. Well, we’re dead. We’re dead tired physically, dead tired mentally, dead because we think it is an unjust defeat with lots of incidents that are debatable,” Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia.
“We are dead tired, but proud. I always say you can lose a football match, but never your dignity or professionalism. I won five European finals, I lost this one, but I return home prouder than ever this time. The lads gave absolutely everything this season.”
Dybala was inconsolable at the final whistle, knowing that he could only contribute for 67 minutes due to that injury.
“We care about the shirt, we care about our nature, we take things seriously, work with humility and give everything we have to give. Each of us react in a different way, one cries another doesn’t, but the truth is we are all very sad. We return dead tired, dead with feeling it is unjust,” continued the coach.
“It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time. The injustice is shown by the fact Lamela should’ve had a second yellow, he didn’t, and he converted a penalty in the shoot-out.”
Mourinho was inevitably asked about his future, especially as this means Roma will not qualify for the Champions League next season, and he left it open-ended, but also rejected suggestions of a deal with Paris Saint-Germain.
“I am going on vacation on Monday. If we have time to talk about it before Monday, we will. If not, I will go on vacation and then we’ll see. I have to fight for these lads and therefore not say objectively that I will remain.
“I am a serious man. I told the owners a few months ago that if I had some contact with other clubs, they would be the first to know. I would always be honest and direct.
“I spoke to the club in December when I had that approach from the Portuguese national team. I have not had any contact with anyone else since then. I have a year left on my contract and this is the situation.”
After the match, Roma players were saluted and comforted by their ultras, who comfortably out-numbered the Sevilla supporters in the stadium, and Mourinho gathered them round for a long speech.
The coach seemed to be holding back tears when waving to the fans afterwards, a new experience considering he had won all five previous UEFA Finals he participated in.
Roma were the only team to even reach the semi-finals who began the Europa League, as Sevilla, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen all dropped down from the Champions League.