Jose Mourinho imposed a press silence on his squad following their 2-0 loss to Slavia Prague: “Everything was missing tonight.” The Giallorossi looked sluggish and out of sorts in their Europa League tie, playing largely on the back foot and creating few chances. Speaking with Sky Sport post-match, Mourinho didn’t mince his words about the performance, praising the opposition while saying his team deserved to lose:
“Everything was missing tonight. I don’t want to talk a lot and no one else (of the players) has to either.
“There’s not much more to say beyond what I’m going to speak about here. It’s a very deserved result for them in a positive sense and for us in a negative one. I didn’t like anything we did, I’ve already spoken to the players in the dressing room.”
“Usually I don’t talk to them right after a game because emotions are still high and the adrenaline is still pumping. What I told the players will stay between us, but I was honest with them, Slavia deserved to win, 100%. We played terribly tonight.”
“The fact that Zalewski couldn’t play and had to play El Shaarawy on the left and Belotti in attack could have been an excuse, but we played so badly that I don’t want to use this as an excuse. Nothing worked. From an individual point of view, there were very few who had the correct attitude, with the professionalism that I like and that I demand. On the part of many I saw an incorrect attitude for a serious match with objectives.”
“Obviously I’m sorry about tonight. I don’t want to talk much more because I have already spoken to my players and I will do the analysis tomorrow.”
“Every one of us deserved to lose with the exception of Bove who fought until the end.”
