Jose Mourinho revealed Paulo Dybala returned to training early following the World Cup to help the Giallorossi, calling the Argentine ‘a special guy’. The Giallorossi boss was speaking after his team’s 2-0 win over Fiorentina where Dybala was the star of the show, scoring a brace to secure an important victory against a potentially tough opponent.
Mourinho commented on the win to DAZN was first asked about his calmness on the bench tonight:
“I am afraid of red cards. Sometimes I go there, excited, and a harsher word escapes. I’m not a saint, I don’t like to be suspended.
It was a difficult match, they are a very good team. Even last year they were down to 10 men here and it was difficult, they know how to manage the ball thanks to their good coach. We defended well and were in control, with no difficult situations to handle.
I would like to have a little more quality with the ball. From the point of view of tactical and emotional organization, I can only say very good things about my players. But we need more confidence and quality with the ball.
Transfers? No, I don’t expect anyone to arrive. The director was honest and direct, in an interview that a coach usually doesn’t like to hear. Every coach would like to hear that there is a lot of money available and that we can make an incredible team.
That is the dream, I have experienced situations like that before, with clubs with no limits. This profile, however, is not ours. We work and give everything with the qualities we have.
If we don’t concede goals then we have a good chance to win, we are a team that doesn’t score as much. I don’t want to talk too much about this but to simply say that personal problems with Pinto are total lies. There is honesty between us.
Bove and Kumbulla? Of Bove I say he is a rabid dog, lovingly. Because he bites, he runs, he gives everything when he plays. And he gives me so much pleasure. He is like Zalewski, Volpato, Tahirovic — they are many. Kumbulla is a true professional. In the hierarchies maybe he is fourth today but he had two very good games. He did well without Ibanez, another day he will be without Smalling and the next day without Mancini… These are players who work well.
We look for a balance between quality, problems and possible results. We controlled the game against a very good team, but not with the ball.
Dybala? Let me say that he asked me to come back on January 1st and I told him I doubted we would win against Bologna without him, and that I wanted him back on December 29th. He called me back on the 27th to tell me he was leaving again and coming back to training on the 28th. This is Paulo, a special guy.
Then I also liked Matic, he can handle the ball very well. We had an extra player on the field who loved the ball as Fiorentina seemed to come forward more dangerously. A word also for Lorenzo Pellegrini as he made an extraordinary effort to play, still this morning we didn’t know if he was able but I asked him to do it and he offered 75 minutes of effort. Thank you very much.
Finding quality? Tahirovic has that quality but he needs time to grow. He is an example of players who can help us in midfield. We have to find solutions because we cannot get Mudryk for 100 million.
Formation change? No, we have a lot of people here who cannot play four at the back. I have to hide them, our problems.”
