Trust Jose Mourinho to say something as bold as calling Roma boss Claudio Ranieri a loser. The war of words between these 2 coaches is bound to only get stronger as the Serie A title race hits the home stretch this week. With one game left to end the season, Inter‘s challengers Roma have not given up hope of causing what might be the biggest upset in modern day football.
The Nerazzurri were 4-3 winners over Chievo on Sunday but with Roma beating Cagliari 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico, the Giallorosso ensured that the race to be crowned champions lives for another week. Now if you are anxious to know why Mourinho called Ranieri a loser it is apparently because his former employer Roman Abramovic thought of him as a loser.
“I never said I was a phenomenon, but it’s certainly not my fault if, in 2004 after coming to Chelsea and asking why Ranieri was replaced, I was told they wanted to win and it was never going to happen with him.
“It is really not my fault if he was considered a loser at Chelsea.” Mourinho said these words right before Roma’s match with Cagliari and Ranieri being the gentleman that he is refused to be drawn into a tug of words with the ‘special one’
Mourinho further mocked Ranieri for showing his players the film Gladiator right before their Copa Italia final which Inter won 1-0. The film did have an effect but not the kind that Ranieri would have liked as his skipper Francesco Totti was red carded towards the end of the game for intentionally kicking Balotelli.
“Before the Coppa Italia final, I watched six Roma games to find their weak points, spending three hours on each at the computer running programmes that help my work.
“Of course, it’s easier to just pick a movie to project before a match, but Ranieri has forgotten his players are champions and not children.”
What the Serie A lacks is rivalry between Coaches. If Mourinho can bring that to Italy then, i foresee a very entertaining year of football. That said, Inter will definitely win the scudetto and Roma should not get their hopes too high waiting for a slip-up that might never come.
{ 3 trackbacks }