Inside Europe - What next for Jose Mourinho and Roma after extraordinary Juventus comeback?
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Updated 10/01/2022 at 12:35 GMT
Mourinho slammed his players as "weak" and lacking in personaliity as they contrived to cede a 3-1 lead en route to an eventual 4-3 defeat. Was it the game of the season so far in Serie A and was Mourinho right to criticise his players? We asked Eurosport Italy all about a thriller at the Stadio Olimpico
Inside Europe Jose Mourinho
Image credit: Eurosport
It was fast, frantic and full of drama, but Roma must have come away from Sunday night's thrilling 4-3 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico wondering quite how they managed to lose to Juventus.
When Lorenzo Pellegrini put the hosts 3-1 ahead soon after the half-time interval it appeared that Jose Mourinho's side were cruising to a victory that might have taken them above their opponents in a highly-competitive race for the Serie A top four.
But an extraordinary collapse saw Roma concede thrice in seven second half minutes as Juventus completed a remarkable turnaround, and saw the Portuguese manager slam his players as "weak" after a third consecutive game without a win.
Yes, the Mourinho experience continues apace in the Italian capital, but what is next for the club and their ever-bristling manager? Was this the game of the Serie A season so far? And how did Ainsley Maitland-Niles fare on debut after his loan move from Arsenal? We asked Eurosport Italy's Francesco Friggi all about Roma vs Juventus...
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Mourinho: I'm doing a great job at Roma
Was this the best game of the season so far in Italy?
Fransesco Friggi: Yes - the game was wonderful! It was the most captivating game of the Serie A season, together with Verona's 4-3 win against Venezia in early December.
Do you think it was a fair result?
FF: The pace was high throughout the match. Roma missed a penalty in the last few minutes and could have equalised, but I think they made certain mistakes that can't be made in such important games. So yes, I'd say Juventus deserved the win.
Do you agree with Jose Mourinho's post-match comments?
FF: Jose Mourinho is not doing well and has often argued with referees, clubs and players. The impression yesterday was that he was angry with his players, but I think he also has to take a lot of responsibility for the negative results.
How much responsibility does he take?
FF: Mourinho's responsibility is above all taking the wrong approach against small and medium-sized teams. Yesterday they were guilty of probably thinking that they had already won at 3-1.
What were your impressions of Ainsley Maitland-Niles on Roma debut?
FF: Ainsley Maitland-Niles had trained only once and was immediately selected to start. We'll see his true value in the next few games. It's clear that a lot is expected of him at Roma and Mourinho will have to be good at making the most of him in a dark season for the club.
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