Friday October 22, 2021
The press ridicules starters
Mourinho’s nightmare of “infinite shame”
What a debacle: AS Roma go swimming in the Conference League with Norwegian soccer champions FK Bodö / Glimt, José Mourinho conceded six goals for the first time – and then attacked his players. Media from Italy and Sweden, on the other hand, are harshly judging Startrainer.
Jose Mourinho drew the corners of his mouth low before crushing his failures. “I have never denied that we have a limited squad,” the star coach grumbled after the most embarrassing bankruptcy of his glorious career and poisoned: “We have 13 players who represent Roma. All the others don’t have the level.”
The 1: 6 (1: 2) with AS Roma in the Conference League at the Norwegian soccer champions FK Bodö / Glimt was a humiliation for the great Portuguese. In his 1008th (!) Game as a coach, he conceded six goals for the first time. And that against absolute nobodies – or “the special ones”, as the Norwegian newspaper “Verdens Gang Bodös” dubbed the player in reference to Mourinho’s famous nickname.
The “Gazzetta dello Sport” saw a “nightmare for Mourinho”, this “historical fiasco” brought “endless shame” to the club. The “Corriere dello Sport” wrote of a “defeat of unacceptable proportions”, for “Tuttosport” it was a “historical knockout” and a “disgrace for Mourinho”.
“Players have lost control”
He took responsibility. “It was my mistake,” he said meekly about the nine starting XI changes, with his “reserve” he was hard on the court: “Your first team is much better than our second. It could have been seven or eight (goals conceded) , the players have completely lost control. “
Perhaps, he mused, his C-Elf was “afraid of injuries or the unknown” on the artificial turf 80 km north of the Arctic Circle, “but I don’t want to look for excuses”. In any case, in the second leg on November 4th he will bring his best team “because I have to”.
Little Bodö was celebrated, even Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe congratulated. “That was a game for the history books,” said national coach Stale Solbakken, the result was “against all reason” and went “around the world”. At least in neighboring Sweden, they were amazed. “Bodö / Glimt 6, Roma 1”, wrote the “Aftonbladet”, “yes, you read that right”.