Jose Mourinho was inevitably furious after Nicolò Zaniolo’s late disallowed goal against Genoa. ‘If that’s a foul, we have to call football something else. Roma are small in the eyes of the powerful.’
The Giallorossi were held to a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Olimpico because Zaniolo’s last-gasp winner was disallowed after a VAR on-field review for Tammy Abraham’s foul on Johan Vasquez.
“I don’t want to comment on it. I can comment on the game, but not the goal, not the red of the reaction after that,” Mourinho told DAZN.
“I prefer to avoid this. We can talk about the game, but I prefer not to talk about this.”
Serie A | Roma 0-0 Genoa: Zaniolo sees red after big VAR call
While he certainly started the interview with that approach, Mourinho did go back to it later and unleashed his more traditional blasts against officials and ‘powerful’ figures.
“Genoa are desperately playing for points to secure safety, so they play ugly and were able to bring home what they wanted. That is not criticism, because if I was in their position, I probably would’ve done the same,” continued the Special One.
“It’s difficult to play against a team like this. We tried to spread the play down the flanks, but every time the ball got to Maitland-Niles and Karsdorp, there was no depth, the players were isolated.
“We tried to change some positions, creating triangles down the right and the left, got into situations where the right cross would’ve created a goal or the finish was wrong.
“Even with XI against XI, I saw very little difference to XI against 10. The team that does more to win is usually the one that deserves to win, but Genoa deserve credit because they played for the draw and got what they wanted.”
Stephan El Shaarawy came off the bench with Felix Afena-Gyan and sparked a definite change in tempo and intensity in the Roma side.
“For the first time today, I felt there were options off the bench that could help me win the game. We didn’t win, but with Felix, El Shaarawy and others, we saw the right mentality to come on and create chances.
“We didn’t score, the goal we did score was disallowed and I don’t want to judge that incident, because it could’ve gone many different ways.”
At this point, Mourinho let go of his earlier reticence and analysed the decisive moment in this match, Abraham’s challenge on Vasquez.
“If the referee made the right decision, then our sport that many years ago became the sport that people love, then this has changed. This is a different sport. A different sport.
“If that is a foul, then this is no longer football, we have to call it something else. We need a different name, because it’s a different sport.
“If the referee made a mistake and disallowed the goal, he will be the first to be upset at getting it wrong, while for Roma it is déjà vu, as this has already happened many times to us this season.
“There is also a third option, which is that Roma are considered ‘small’ in the eyes of those who are powerful. I leave it there, as the Mourinho who arrived here seven months ago has a different profile to before.”
Mourinho cambia idea e protesta: “Se è fallo non è più calcio. Roma piccola agli occhi del potere” https://t.co/cldxyMzSn8
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