So far, José Mourinho's time at Roma has been very positive. After failing to qualify for the Champions League last year, Roma have been rejuvenated by his arrival, sitting in fourth in Serie A, ahead of Atalanta and Juventus.
It was a dire Thursday night for Mourinho and Roma, however, as they fell to a 6-1 defeat to Norwegian champions Glimt. It was a shocking result for José and the Giallarossi - and it led to a classic "Special One" interview post-match
José Mourinho throws players under the bus after heavy Roma defeat
Few would have been expecting Roma to be defeated on Thursday night, even if Mourinho rotated his team for the tie in northern Norway.
Roma had a massive trip to Juventus at the weekend - and have a similarly important game against Napoli on Sunday - so some changes were to be expected from Mourinho. After a 1-0 loss in Turin on Sunday, and the farce of Norway, the gamble appears to have backfired.
The conditions were tricky for Roma's players, as the game was played on an artificial pitch in close-to-freezing temperatures. Regardless, the likes of Stephen El Sharaawy and Rui Patricio still lined up for Roma, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Tammy Abraham both coming off the bench.
All things considered, a 6-1 defeat was a woeful result for one of the giants of Italian football and, after the match, we were treated to the first "classic José" interview of the Mourinho Roma era.
Mourinho went in on his players, clearly describing the players he had chosen as his second-choice - while also asserting on several occasions that they simply weren't good enough.
Jose Mourinho throwing his Roma players under the bus after their shocking 6-1 defeat in #UECL. We have seen this a lot in recent years. Great interview by @JanAageFjortoft pic.twitter.com/d0Oc9ctn9v
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) October 21, 2021
He said: "They have more quality than us. Their first team is a much better team than our second team.
It's my mistake. In the end, they are better players than my players, they are a better team than my team. The reality of the game is the best team won, the team with the best players.
The only thing I can say is that I tried to do it with a good intention of resting my best players for the next game, but we were punished by that. I would expect more from my second-line players, let's say that - and then, to be honest, the ones that came in for the last 20-25 minutes.
We have a very good team. We don't have a very good squad. Today, we didn't play with the team, we played with the squad - and we were punished by that.
This is the first time we've seen the Mourinho of old rear its head in the Italian capital. During his time in England with Chelsea, Man United, and Spurs, he was known for his post-match interviews and controversial persona.
When asked whether he would be playing his first time the next time his Roma side comes up against Glimt in two weeks, Mourinho's answer was simple.
Yeah. Yeah, I have to.
It was a tough and cold night in Norway for Roma's "second-line" players - a night that won't have been made any easier by the comments of their (in)famous manager.
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