Sarri? We have affection for each other… The referee gave two yellow cards to our center-backs in 25 minutes. That happens only to us.
After the goalless draw in the Derby della Capitale, José Mourinho gets straight to the point. “It was a draw, and a point is positive in this case, it’s better than a defeat,” explained the Roma coach. “Especially when playing against a team with the same objectives. A draw is better than a defeat.”
“We didn’t drop points against a direct opponent. The referee cautioned our 2 central defenders after only 25 minutes using a criterion that applies only to us. Decisions that also changed the tactical situation.”
“Today we didn’t have Renato Sanchez, Pellegrini and, Aouar. We stil played with three midfielders who were ready to play at this level,” Mourinho added, analyzing the derby. “But after the yellow cards to the central defenders, I had to tell Karsdorp not to attack Marusic and avoid leaving Mancini alone against Pedro, who is an excellent diver.“
“I think the ball possession was balanced; we only lacked a goal,” continued the Special One. “We had a few opportunities. Bove had two good chances in the box, and we could have done better. Also, Rui Patricio made an extraordinary save.”
On the current situation? We are three points away from fourth place. For me, the championship started in the fourth game. Despite all the difficulties we’ve had, we are three points away from the Champions League zone,” explained the Special One. “We had a disastrous performance against Genoa, and then many performances in line with our potential, obviously influenced by injuries. We hope to be luckier with these players who have this clinical history. We are working to get the players in good condition.”
Regarding the embrace with Sarri at the end of the game, Mourinho said, “He is always very friendly with me. We talked before the game and joked about what we said to each other during the week. Anyway, we have affection for each other, and after the game, I told him that for the next two weeks, neither of us will laugh, but neither will we cry.”
