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Jose Mourinho, the AS Roma manager, stood up against racism during the recent Serie A clash between Roma and Sampdoria. The game, which saw Roma dominate the opposition with a 3-0 victory, was marred by home fans who directed racist chants at visiting manager Dejan Stankovic.
Mourinho, who had previously coached Stankovic during his time as Inter Milan coach from 2008 to 2010, considers him a "great friend." So, when Roma fans began to direct racial chants towards Stankovic, Mourinho intervened and urged the fans to stop the derogatory chants.
He spoke to reporters after the game, revealing (via GOAL):
"I did it for a great man and a great friend. He has kids and a family and it's not pretty. Our fans are great, but my friends aren't being touched."
AS Roma will next face Torino in a crucial Serie A clash on Saturday (April 8). The win against Sampdoria has lifted their spirits and the team will be looking to build on their momentum. With Jose Mourinho at the helm, Roma will be looking to climb into the Champions League spots from their current fifth place in the league table.
Jose Mourinho has only praise for his players as they beat Sampdoria 3-0
Jose Mourinho was all praise for his team after Roma's 3-0 victory over Sampdoria in the recent Serie A encounter.
The gaffer, who is known for his sharp and incisive analysis, was quick to point out the standout performers of the match, including Georginio Wijnaldum and Fernando Llorente.
Mourinho, who is famous for his meticulous approach, was delighted with the way his team played, telling DAZN afterwards (via Roma Press):
“I’m satisfied, in the first half we created a lot of chances. Then we scored and didn’t keep the ball for a while, they got close and put us in trouble when the match was still at 1-0. Then I made substitutions with El Shaarawy and Solbakken, so Paulo played a bit deeper and we got the ball back.”
He continued:
“I felt that, sooner or later, this type of performance would come from Gini. I’m really satisfied with his progressive evolution. But Diego Llorente also played very well with Smalling in a 4-man defense. He worked really well during the break, and as a manager that’s what really struck me about today: Llorente’s performance.”
