Jose Mourinho has insisted that he is not an arsehole, as he took plenty of shots at Roma’s former owners.
Mourinho was speaking following his side’s disastrous 6-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.
The former Man Utd boss fielded a weakened side for the game but was still expected to seal a win. Ultimately though, his team were played off the pitch by the Norwegians, who handed Mourinho his heaviest defeat ever.
It was a crazy result, leaving Roma needing to bounce back when they face undefeated Napoli on Sunday, before which Mourinho took aim at the old owners for the damage they did to the team.
“There are many people who are laughing at what they did with Roma,” he told a press conference. “The Friedkins and Tiago Pinto inherited a pile of s**t from the previous owners and administration.
“The current owners spent a lot of money to clean up those many errors and try to create the conditions for a project that needs time. There are people out there who are laughing with their pockets full.
“When someone says Mourinho is not happy, it is a huge lie. Mourinho wants more players? Of course, like everyone does, he wants the players to rotate the squad and maintain balance. Mourinho wants players all on the same level? Yes, but Mourinho is not an a**hole and he has respect for the Friedkins and Tiago Pinto. Mourinho accepts the situation and understands.
“A result like the one against Bodo/Glimt happens once in a lifetime, but I am the only one responsible. Not the players, not Tiago. I decided to play a team that I knew would risk losing the game. I didn’t think it’d be as disastrous as this, but the responsibility remains mine.
“I did it out of fear of sustaining more injuries on a synthetic turf and because I don’t have two players for every position. So, I take the responsibility.”
Mourinho is under pressure to deliver trophies to Roma this season, having spent more than any other Serie A side this summer during his first window in charge.