Jose Mourinho is heating up tempers. © APA/afp / INA FASSBENDER

“An impudence”: Leverkusen anger over Mourinho’s Roma

“Disgusting”, “impudent”, “disgrace”: Bayer Leverkusen players and those in charge vented their anger at star coach José Mourinho's Roman spoilsports after missing out on the final.

19 May 2023

From: leo

It wasn't even AS Roma's destructive style of play in the 0-0 draw in the semi-final second leg of the Europa League that angered everyone at Bayer. But the provocative and provocative way of buying time by acting out supposed injuries.

Instead of eight, they should have allowed 20 minutes to be replayed, complained the normally diplomatic sports director Simon Rolfes: “Otherwise the referee will be taken for a ride if he lets this happen to him.” The ex-national player was annoyed that “after every shot on goal, a Roman almost had to be carried down on a stretcher because they were so badly injured.” And he even said: “I think everyone who was in the stadium today wishes Sevilla all the best for the final.”

Hard to accept

Record winners FC Sevilla will face the Romans in the final on May 31st in Budapest. Bayer captain Lukas Hradecky also assured that after Thursday's experiences he would "firmly stand by" the Spaniards. “The net playing time was maybe 25 or 30 minutes, that's a shame,” said the goalkeeper: “Okay, that's Mourinho football. But that’s hard to accept.”

Roma are in the final. © APA/afp / INA FASSBENDER

That was it for Nadiem Amiri too. The Romans are a team “that has nothing to do with football,” explained the offensive player: “What they played today, and also in Rome, was really a disgrace. They fall down with every action, they shoot every ball long. This isn't football. It's crazy that a team like that is in the final." And Kerem Demirbay stated: "It's a shame that such a style of play at such a level is rewarded in the semi-finals. This is very, very bitter for football. They did it very disgustingly in the end, that’s how you have to put it.”

Mourinho amused

“The Special One” Mourinho was not annoyed by this statement. One had the feeling that they gave him a similarly thieving pleasure as the unsuccessful attempt by Leverkusen, who, despite 23:1 shots on goal, could not make up for the 0:1 result from the first leg. “I think it's the old story: the team that loses always sees it as an excuse. But the other way around they would always do the same thing,” said the Portuguese, who could become the sole record-breaking coach in the event of a sixth title in his sixth European Cup final. And then he demonstratively and gleefully praised referee Slavko Vincic from Slovenia. “It was an almost epic game against a good opponent with a great referee,” he said: “Without such a referee the game could have been chaotic.”

Florian Wirtz & Co. couldn't break the defensive barrier. © APA/afp / INA FASSBENDER

But the three ex-national players also contribute as experts RTL were annoyed by the behavior of the Romans. “Of course that’s not a nice way to get to a final. It was a shame for football,” said Karl-Heinz Riedle, who once stormed for Lazio: “Lothar and I also played in Italy. There was some provocation there, but this was absolutely excessive.” Lothar Matthäus confirmed this: “Rome was only out for one thing. Delays, interruptions and their defensive performance. That wasn't nice football." And Steffen Freund explained: "It's the style that wears you down and drives you crazy. That’s really something on the border.”