AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has issued a response following criticism of the "ugly" tactics employed during the second leg of the Europa League semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen. Despite drawing the match, Roma advanced to the final with a 1-0 advantage, adopting a defensive approach in the second leg by sitting deep in their own half. Leverkusen made 23 attempts on goal but failed to convert any, while Roma did not manage to register a single shot on target. After the match, Leverkusen midfielder Kerem Demirbay expressed disappointment, stating, "It's a shame that in a semi-final at such a high level that this type of play can be rewarded. They made things very ugly at the end." Mourinho, when asked about the tactics employed and his physical well-being, refrained from his customary celebratory run on the pitch out of respect for his close bond with Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, whom he had coached during his time at Real Madrid. Mourinho explained, "No, it's not an agility problem. Experience doesn't come into it because you still feel the pressure during these moments in the same way. You feel the same joy too. It doesn't change anything. To tell you the truth, it's very hard for me to come up against my friends because while you may forget during the game, it's tough afterwards. I don't like celebrating in front of my guys and the person doing an extraordinary job out there, Xabi, is one of mine. That's why I struggle."
He said;
“No, it’s not an agility problem. Experience doesn’t come into it because you still feel the pressure during these moments in the same way. You feel the same joy too. It doesn’t change anything.
“To tell you the truth, it’s very hard for me to come up against my friends because while you may forget during the game, it’s tough afterwards. I don’t like celebrating in front of my guys and the person doing an extraordinary job out there, Xabi, is one of mine. That’s why I struggle.”