Jose Mourinho has regularly criticized his players this season, but on Sunday evening it was AS Roma fans who had to endure. The Portuguese coach took his team into protection after the 1-0 victory over Hellas Verona.
That victory was the first for Roma since February 4, when it won at home against Empoli (2-0). Then discord from the supporters could also be heard in the Stadio Olimpico, to Mourinho’s incomprehension. During the home game against Hellas Verona, the fans were again critical of their team last Sunday, while The Special One was very satisfied with Roma’s game.
“I want to give my compliments to everyone who played,” Mourinho started his account at DAZN. “The boys won with a fantastic team spirit. They played very well, this is a well deserved victory. The boys have made great sacrifices, five or six of them also played in Austria on Thursday,” he referred to the Europa League game with Red Bull Salzburg.
And then there was Rick Karsdorp, who participated for the first time after Mourinho’s infamous tirade. He remarked, “Karsdorp hadn’t played for two months, Spinazzola had just returned from an injury, Bove played on artificial turf last season, Belotti had played little, Solbakken still has to get used to our playing style and El Shaarawy hadn’t played two games in a row for years.”
Mourinho thinks Roma players deserve more recognition
Karsdorp played against Hellas Verona for the first time since November 9 with Roma. The 28-year-old right back initially seemed to have no future at the club after Mourinho called him a traitor.
What the often critical Mourinho wanted to say is that his players do not get the recognition they deserve. “I am disappointed because we are doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances. I am grateful to the players for that. If the stadium is sold out like against Bodø/Glimt, it helps us. But today people started booing and whistling because of one bad pass,” the manager said.
According to Mourinho, the fans are too critical, “It seems that people don’t understand. We don’t have Cafú or Maicon in the right-back position. If I were a Roma fan, I would put Bove (Eduardo, self-trained midfielder) on my shoulders, because he is more of a Roma fan than she is. When I got here he was going to be loaned out to a Serie C club. And now he starts at Roma.”
According to Mourinho, the media coverage does not help either. “The others are described as phenomena, but you think we win by luck or by default. I am sixty years old and have already won a lot, I do not need compliments. But the boys do. The fans can be critical of me, but I have to protect my players. They deserve better,” he concluded.
