Mourinho disappointed with Roma players

Czech coach Jose Mourinho criticized the fighting spirit of the entire Roma team, except for 21-year-old midfielder Edoardo Bove, in the 0-2 loss at Slavia Praha in the fourth round of Group G of the Europa League.

"Today Roma lacked everything," Mourinho said after the match at the Sinobo Stadium. "I don't want to say much and neither does anyone else. The result was deserved, both in a positive sense for Slavia Prague and a negative sense for us."

Visiting the Czech Republic, Roma played poorly, controlling 40% of the game and failing to shoot in the first half. The Italian capital club improved in the second half, but only had two shots on target.

Mourinho at a press conference after Roma lost to host Slavia Praha in the fourth round of Group G of the Europa League on November 9. Photo: asroma.it

The visitors' first chance came in the 52nd minute, when Andrea Belotti entered the box and shot low with his left foot, which was saved by Ales Mandous. In the 66th minute, Zeki Celik broke through three Slavia Prague players in midfield, but his right-footed shot was blocked by the home goalkeeper.

On the opposite side, Slavia Praha played brilliantly, taking 19 shots - nearly four times compared to Roma's five, with seven on target and scoring two goals thanks to Lukas Masopust and Vaclav Jurecka.

Mourinho anticipated the difficulties of leaving Bryan Cristante and Paulo Dybala out, but he did not expect his players to play so poorly. The "Special One" believes that only Edoardo Bove - the player who played the full 90 minutes - showed the fighting spirit he wanted. "I only liked the performance of Bove, the 21-year-old, but he alone was not enough to help Roma win. All the players deserved to be beaten tonight except Bove," the Portuguese coach emphasized.

At Sinobo Stadium on the evening of November 9, Bove touched the ball 58 times, passed 78% accurately with one key pass, won seven duels, won two aerial duels and was fouled four times. The 21-year-old midfielder scored the fastest goal in Roma's UEFA Cup history, opening the scoring after 43 seconds in a 2-0 win over Slavia Praha at the Olimpico Stadium on October 26.

Bove (No. 52) fights for the ball during the 0-2 loss to Slavia Praha on November 9. Photo: asroma.it

Similarly, striker Andrea Belotti was unhappy with the team's performance. "I think Roma lacked the right attitude on the pitch and should have done better with and without the ball," the Italian centre-back admitted. "We barely did anything in the first half. That's a big problem when playing at this level. I don't think it's a matter of fitness or fatigue, it's a matter of attitude."

Yesterday's defeat means Roma have lost the right to decide the top spot in Group G. Roma and Slavia Praha are tied on head-to-head record, both winning 2-0 at home and with nine points, but the Czechs are ahead on goal difference. Mourinho's team must win their final two matches against Servette on November 30 and Sheriff on December 14, while hoping Slavia Praha stumble or score few goals to regain the top spot.

If Roma remain second in the group, they will have to play a two-legged play-off against a third-placed team from the Champions League, as they did last season. If they finish third, Mourinho's side will be relegated to the Europa Conference League, where they won the title in 2021.

Hong Duy

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