Andriy Shevchenko spoke to Massimo Ambrosini minutes before the kick-off of Genoa–Roma saying that his players are motivated and calling José Mourinho ‘a friend.’
The former striker makes his Serie A debut as a coach against Mourinho’s Roma.
It kicks off at 19.45 at the Stadio Ferraris, you can follow the live updates from the match on Football Italia’s liveblog.
The Special One coached Shevchenko at Chelsea in 2006-07, but they were not on good terms at that time.
Shevchenko joined Mourinho’s Chelsea from Milan, but struggled to settle in at Stamford Bridge, scoring just four goals in 30 appearances across all competitions in his first season at the club.
Two years later, the Ukraine legend blamed Mou for his bad time in the Premier League when he left Chelsea.
However, their relationship has changed, and there’s more than mutual respect between them.
Mourinho and Shevchenko meet after tense relationship at Chelsea
“Mourinho is a friend and a person I respect. We play in front of our fans who always support the team,” the former striker told DAZN in an interview with his ex-teammate Massimo Ambrosini.
The former midfielder was at Milan when Shevchenko made his Serie A debut as a footballer in 1999.
“I haven’t changed, I still want to impress,” Shevchenko ensured.
“I am trying to be serene. I have many things in my mind. I make my debut against an important team and an important coach.
“The lads are motivated. They want to turn things around, this is a good starting point. We are getting there slowly. We are trying to be as competitive as possible.”
Sheva was one of the greats at Milan.