Mourinho: “We found it tough going physically”

Maybe today some people didn’t make the most of their chances, would you agree?

“I do. But firstly let me send warm regards to all of Sinisa [Mihajlovic]’s family. I’d like them to forgive me because I meant to say this before the game but it slipped my mind. A big hug to Sinisa’s wife and children.

“I’d also like to publicly apologise to Renato [Sanches]. I felt that I needed to [make the substitution]. I know that life as a player isn’t straightforward, but being a coach is an even tougher task. I’ve only done this three or four times in the last 20 years. It’s painful and I’d like to say sorry. 

“Regarding your question, when we’re missing Paulo [Dybala] we offer no class and when we’re missing Romelu [Lukaku] we offer no physicality. We knew that having both of them out would be challenging for us. I saw that my players who went out there wanted to do their best and dig deep, but if we maybe didn’t have any tactical issues – I mean, when we conceded the first goal we were in total control of the game – we definitely found it tough going physically.

“Their players were full of zest and intensity while we were lacking players with the same levels of energy.

“For example, [Rasmus] Kristensen is a player who may be technically limited but he’s got the physique capable of playing at a high level. We don’t have many players like that.

“After conceding it became an uphill struggle for us. We had chances to equalise and even score twice but we didn’t make it happen. That’s how it panned out and it became a real challenge for us.”

Are any players in particular who is struggling with fitness?

“No, let me be clear. [Gianluca] Mancini is in a bad way, because he’s playing with a really bad groin problem. He’s finding it hard to do his job. He’s on the pitch because he wants to help out and because Roma need him.

“That’s just one example. Not every player is in the same boat as Gianluca. Others are limited both technically and physically. Some of my players are really struggling. If you match up our players with [Nikola] Moro, [Lewis] Ferguson and [Dan] Ndoje then they’ll have a torrid time.

So you reckon that Roma come up short compared to Bologna, fitness-wise?

“Definitely. But I’ll tell you something I’m yet to say because I was reluctant to do so – I want to stay at Roma. I want to stay here. If I stay at the club I need to really reflect on things and the limitations we face because of Financial Fair Play. Maybe it’s better to work with some young players, giving them more opportunities to play when you see that they’ve got margin for growth, rather than working with footballers who have reached their ceiling and are staying where they’re at. You’re the first to hear this: I want to stay and I’m willing to change my mindset.” 

You’ve got a crucial month in which you can see what your team are truly capable of…

“It’s obviously crucial. However, I know what this team are capable of – everyone does. It’s a team which, when everyone is available, is capable of really competing - as we have every season. The last campaign we didn’t finish fourth because we were playing in a European final and we went into that game running on empty. If we’ve got everyone available we can win things, but if we’re missing crucial players then it’s a struggle.”

Do the club want you to stay?

“We haven’t spoken about this – you’re the first to hear this news. When I see our fans who, after a game in which we weren’t at the races, after which they’d have every right to not be feeling enthusiastic about their team, the way they supported us after such a match… I mean, how far is Rome from Bologna? How much money have they spent coming here? There are no fans like Roma fans. Leaving them behind would be heart-wrenching. If I leave it won’t be because I chose to go.”

Have you congratulated Motta?

“Indeed. I was his coach and always will be.”

Any thoughts on the refereeing today? You didn’t seem very happy with how things were out there.

“It’s hard to speak about the officiating given the way we played. I think that the referee applied different criteria to the cards he issued. Based on what I saw, I felt that the Bologna’s defender [Beukema] deserved an obvious second yellow, and then Thiago [Motta] hauled him off soon after. Maybe I’m mistaken, though. I don’t want to criticise [Marco] Guida.”