Mourinho on Unforgettable Europa League Final Loss and Osimhen’s On-Field Behavior
José Mourinho expressed that he will “die and never forget” the 2022-23 Europa League Final, which his Roma team lost to Sevilla, and stated that he has no issues with Victor Osimhen, although he believes the player “dives too much.”
In a lengthy interview with Turkish media outlet HT Spor, the Fenerbahce coach discussed various topics, including his lingering frustration over the Europa League Final. This frustration has been reignited by a recent referee decision that led to Fenerbahce’s elimination from the Champions League playoffs in August.
“UEFA is UEFA. Referees are referees. I have no issues with UEFA. In fact, I have a respectful relationship with the president,” Mourinho explained. “The reality is that VAR and the referee determined that I couldn’t win that Final. It’s the kind of penalty that one million people would agree was obvious. Similarly, against Lille, a strange VAR decision gave them a last-minute penalty after two hours of hard-fought play. But I will never forget that final with Roma.”
Following that match, Mourinho was so upset that he waited for English referee Anthony Taylor in the stadium parking lot to confront him, which led to a four-match ban from European competitions.
Mourinho will encounter Osimhen this season, as the Nigerian striker has joined Fenerbahce’s rivals Galatasaray on loan. Mourinho has previously criticized Osimhen’s behavior during a Serie A match between Roma and Napoli.
“Osimhen is a fantastic player. If I were at a club with the resources to spend €70-75 million, I would sign him,” Mourinho said. “I have no personal issues with Victor; in fact, we have a good relationship. But when I play against him, I always talk to him about his behavior on the pitch. He dives too much, and I told him this after our last Roma vs Napoli match. I said, ‘You’re one of the two best African players, along with Salah. In the past, there were players like Drogba, Eto’o, and Weah. You can’t behave like this.'”