After AS Roma’s 4-1 loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final following a penalty shootout, manager Jose Mourinho expressed that he was unsure of his future at the club.
It was a tough clash that saw Roma open the scoring first after a brilliant finish from Paulo Dybala in the first half, before an own goal leveled matters in the second.
Sevilla came out much better in the second half and threatened the opposition goal but failed to score. With both sides keeping each other out, the game proceeded to penalties and Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who shined at the World Cup with Morocco, showed more of his heroics once again.
The loss prevented Roma from advancing to the Champions League for the upcoming season and raised concerns over whether the 60-year-old would stay in the Italian capital after being linked to Paris Saint-Germain.
Mourinho remains tight-lipped on Roma future
“I have to fight for these lads and therefore not say objectively that I will remain,” Mourinho, whose side was tied 1-1 with Sevilla after extra time, told Sky Sports Italia. “I spoke to the club in December when I had that approach from the Portuguese national team.
“I have not had any contact with anyone else since then. I have a year left on my contract and this is the situation.”
Mourinho was disappointed to lose the game, but he expressed pride in his team’s effort and said the season had taken a toll.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager claimed:
“I always tell my players that you can lose a match but you can’t lose your dignity, and the lads lost a match and I lost it as well but we haven’t lost our dignity.”
“We’re physically exhausted, mentally exhausted, and feeling dead because we believe it’s an unjust defeat with numerous disputable incidents.” “We are quite worn out yet proud. You can lose a football game, but never your professionalism or respect, I always say.
“I lost this one, but this time I go home prouder than ever. This season, the guys gave everything they had. Anthony Taylor, the referee, was also criticized by Mourinho, who added that the Englishman issued too many yellow cards. We are used to the effect of officials in our games; it’s nothing new, but I didn’t expect that in a European final. “It was an intense, masculine, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish. It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time,” he remarked.
Mourinho’s legacy tarnished
The result means Mourinho has now lost a European final for the first time in his managerial career and it would be interesting to see where which club he will manage next season.
