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AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho aimed a sly dig at former Chelsea forward Pedro after his side's clash against Lazio in Serie A.
The two teams played out a 0-0 draw but Mourinho's side were fortunate to come away with a point from a game in which Lazio had the better opportunities.
Roma's defensive approach and lack of chances could have come down to their tactic of double-teaming Pedro, to which Jose Mourinho offered an explanation.
Speaking in his post-match interview with DAZN (via Metro), he said:
"I didn’t want to leave (Gianluca) Mancini alone with Pedro. I needed (Rick) Karsdorp to stay and help him.
"Pedro is a fantastic player but he is a born diver, an excellent swimmer, he dives into the pool just beautifully."
Jose Mourinho coached Pedro during his second stint at Chelsea and signed him from Barcelona in 2015 as the Spaniard chose the Blues over Manchester United. After five years at Stamford Bridge, Pedro moved to Italy and played for Roma before joining Lazio.
Mourinho's comments came in a typical fashion after a frustrating result as he was questioned about his tactical approach. However, the Portuguese would be pleased to have avoided defeat.
Roma have made a decent recovery to form after a poor start to the season and are now seventh in Serie A with 18 points, having won three of their last five games. Rivals Lazio are just a point behind, but sit in 10th place in a packed mid-table.
Roma will host Udinese in their next game in Serie A on November 26 as Jose Mourinho will look to continue to take his team up the table.
Revisiting Roma boss Jose Mourinho's first stint at Chelsea
Jose Mourinho has managed several teams and guided them to success, having broken onto the scene by winning the Champions League with Porto in 2003-04. That triumph earned him a move to Chelsea, where he established himself as one of the modern greats and also iconically referred to himself as "the special one".
Mourinho's first stint at Chelsea was between 2004-07, during which the club won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and one Community Shield.
The Portuguese won the Premier League in his debut season with the Blues in 2004-05, and in some style. They had a remarkable defense with John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, with Petr Cech between the sticks. The team conceded just 15 goals that season.
With 95 points in the league that season, Chelsea breezed to the title leaving second-placed Arsenal on 83 points in the dust.
Jose Mourinho returned to west London for his second stint between 2013-15. He then managed Manchester United and Tottenham before taking up the helm at Roma in 2021.
