Bologna 0-0 AS Roma: The chance that AS Roma will qualify for the Champions League via Serie A has shrunk enormously on Sunday. Jose Mourinho’s team lost points in the competition for the fifth time in a row. Yet The Special One did not lose his players.
Mourinho with remarkable explanation after painful slip
Miracles should simply not be expected from this Roma, the Portuguese emphasized after the draw in Bologna. Mourinho had given youngsters Filippo Missori (19) and Benjamin Tahirovic (20) a starting place against the team of his old pupil Thiago Motta. That was not out of luxury. “I am proud of our achievement. Even if a child from the Under-15 or someone from the women’s national team were to join our team, the professionalism and tactical discipline remain unaffected. That makes me very proud,” Mourinho told DAZN.
He also addressed the supporters, who undoubtedly expected more from the performance in the league. The gap with number four Lazio is six points with three rounds to go. Mourinho said: “The fans have to listen to me. When we were second or third in the league for a few weeks, I said we had to take it game by game. We don’t have the resources to fight on two fronts. I’ve been saying that for months.”
Europa League win would also mean qualification for the Champions League
On the European stage, however, success beckons again for Roma, which this week won 1-0 against Bayer Leverkusen in the first game in the semi-finals of the Europa League. The return awaits in Leverkusen on Thursday. A Europa League win would also mean qualification for the Champions League. The Romans would face either Juventus or Sevilla, if they do make it past Bayer Leverkusen in the 2nd leg. “Our season is fantastic. People can say what they want and they can analyze the results, but whether we finish fourth or seventh, we really got the most out of it. For me personally that is fantastic,” he added.
Mourinho let the recently recovered Wijnaldum play just over fifty minutes in Bologna. The 32-year-old former Liverpool man can probably start again in the return against Die Werkself.
