Roma boss Jose Mourinho has spoken about his sideโs recent issues, ahead of the clubโs Serie A clash against Frosinone.
The Giallorossi have five points from six league games and that is the worst start to a season in Mourinhoโs entire career and it is the worst league start for Roma in the three-point era in Serie A.
Roma need to turn things around quickly to boost chances of qualifying for the top four and Mourinho called a press-conference early today in what was a rare action from the Portuguese, who has often skipped press conference during his time in Roma.
He spoke about a host of issues at the club, and he was initially asked about whether Mourinho is seeking any trademark solutions to the situation.
โWhat do you want me to tell you? Thereโs something that didnโt go well and itโs in these types of moments that one has to isolate oneself, itโs one thing to isolate yourself because others want you isolated, they donโt love you and theyโre not with you and are leaving you alone. Itโs the most common thing, when you lose, the coach is a lonely man.โ
โIn the last 2 days I went to bed at six in the morning after the match, then at 12.15pm and at 7.00/7.30pm to decide for myself. When you have this moment, a lot of people talk outside but also inside. Someone tells me one thing, someone tells me another, if I go to them I hear many things because everyone has an opinion.
โI had a meeting yesterday with the players and I started saying that I was going to ask questions and answer questions. I took the side of the players and responded as if they were them, if I were to make a mistake, you as a footballer have to interrupt me.ย I asked ten questions, no one ever told me I was wrong, I answered as they would have wanted.ย I know them very well.โ
He also spoke about the talk of the third-year syndrome of his career, as he gave a mention to former rival Pep Guardiola.
โI donโt think so, I think that if a person is well, it doesnโt change. There is no third, fifth, tenth year that holds up.ย Even in the first year there are problems, if you also talk about human relationships we can be friends even after 50 years.ย I think itโs all a marathon. In this case, the marathon of 4-5 years that you are in a team, when you donโt feel this love you feel that you have to say enough. Sometimes you get tired of a relationship even without problems, there are managers who have a lot of money to spend, who change players with tremendous ease, for example Manchester City has Guardiola and can pay 100 million.ย I think the starting point is not the years, but a relationship that exists or does not exist, in this case the relationship exists.โ
In what was a emotional and rather detailed press conference, Mourinho also spoke about how he would react if Roma hand him a new deal today.
He stated: โWeโre talking about a hypothetical situation and I donโt like talking about hypotheses. If it didnโt happen I canโt answer you. What I can tell you is that three months ago, weโre talking about Budapest, there was almost a sense of drama in thinking that I could leave. In Budapest, I told the players that I would stay, two days later we played against Spezia, I return to the pitch and there I told the fans that Iโm staying here. Two or three days later I found Dan Friedkin and gave him my word that I was staying. During the holiday period I had the biggest, craziest job offer a coach has ever had in the history of football and I turned it down because of the word to my players, Friedkin and the fans.
โThree months later it seems like Iโm the problem, but I donโt accept it. I donโt read or watch TV, but I have friends and collaborators who send these rumors to me. Iโm not the problem. Things are multifactorial. You canโt say even in victories that a person is responsible. We all are. Theyโre all little things that happen in a club or a team. I gave my word and I will respect it until June 30, 2024. I am here fighting every day for the players, the owners and the fans. Only one person can tell me that it ends before June 30th and that is Mr. Friedkin. If he doesnโt tell me Iโm here until June 30th. Tomorrow Iโm not afraid of entering the field and being challenged.โ
Roma have made several new signings this summer and Mourinhoโs side have faced injury issues on the way, making sure that there hasnโt been a consistent side being fielded in every game. But the game against Frosinone will be a good way for the Giallorossi to get back on track.
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Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN
