Roma tactician Jose Mourinho responded to the praise from Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic. ‘He showed incredible courage and strength, I have respect and admiration for him’.
The Giallorossi travel to Bologna on Wednesday, when the two friends clash in the dugouts at the Renato Dall’Ara.
During the press conference ahead of the match, Bologna coach Mihajlovic praised Mourinho for his character and thanked him for being ‘close’ during the difficult battle against leukaemia.
Mihajlovic: ‘Mourinho is a great person, he was close to me during my illness’
Mourinho said Mihajlovic is ‘not the one who has to thank me’, but stressed the Serbian coach influenced many by being an ‘example’.
“Sinisa is one of my, of ours… he’s a big friend of a great friend of mine [Dejan Stankovic],” Mourinho said. “Then he automatically becomes my friend.
“Us public people can have a positive influence and he certainly had a very positive influence on many people who had the same illness as he did.
“He showed incredible courage and strength, I have respect and admiration for him. People like him can influence many others, he was an example and had tremendous courage.
“He also wanted to work and it’s not him who has to thank me for my little support. I thank him in the name of many for his example.”