Lazio forward Pedro responded to Jose Mourinho’s claims that he’d make a ‘good diver’ and explained why he left Roma to join their bitter rivals.
The 36-year-old Spaniard spent a single season with the Giallorossi from September 2020 to August 2021, scoring six goals and providing seven assists across 40 appearances. After just one year, he terminated his contract with Roma and headed across the river Tiber, joining Lazio.
Pedro has been an important part of Maurizio Sarri’s squad in the Italian capital since his arrival, directly contributing to 30 goals across 101 matches. An experienced leader, he has acted as a reference point for the squad and helped them adapt to Sarri’s demanding 4-3-3 system.
Speaking to SportItalia via TMW, Pedro was first asked about Mourinho’s suggestions that he would make a good diver.
“We all know what Mou is like, he has also done it in the past. He says one thing, he says another. I remember when we won against his Real Madrid he said other things, when we beat his United 4-0 – I was at Chelsea – he said even more.
“Last year, in the Rome derbies, he said even more. It’s always like this, when he doesn’t talk about the referee, he talks about the schedule, about a player who throws himself to the ground.
“I know him very well, he’s a very funny man. I took it with great fairness because I know he uses words to diffuse the great tension of the derby. I know him very well, having had him as a coach.”
The 2010 World Cup winner then reflected on his contract termination with Roma and subsequent move to Lazio.
“The story was born in the press conference, because it was announced that I was out of the squad. From that moment on many teams started calling, one of these was Lazio.
“Sarri himself asked me: ‘What’s happening? I saw that you are out of the squad and that you have a problem with the club.’ I replied to him that I didn’t know the reason for the club’s decision and that I was training with the Primavera.
“We had never talked about it. He wanted to understand what had happened because, knowing me very well, he knows that I always train to the maximum. I hadn’t spoken to Mourinho. I wanted to talk to the owners, but they told me it wasn’t possible.
“So, after three weeks, with the market closing, I spoke to Sarri who told me: ‘Come here, there’s room for you’. I had already worked with him, and I took the opportunity to play in a historic team.”
Why would you play in that Ronald Mc Donald shirt with some broke American team, that supports Saudi over Rome.
When you can play for Rome’s first team , an Italian team with Italian players owned by Italians that supports Rome Expo!!