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Roma legend Sebino Nela: “I adore Mourinho. I would have done anything for him.”

Andy Mattioli
I

Roma legend and former director Sebino Nela was asked to make a comparison between Roma’s historic comeback against Dundee United in 1984 to the one that could take place tomorrow evening in the second leg of the Conference League quarterfinals.

“There were no particular episodes in the game played in Scotland. The match was fair,” he told Il Messaggero.

“A few days before the return match, however, the Italian newspapers reported some heavy expressions of the Dundee coach against the Italians. He said something to the effect of… ‘Italian bastards’ repeated several times. These insults made us indignant and at the end of the match we let out a proper reaction.”

“The photo that portrays me with the middle finger is the strongest image of that moment. I’m sorry, you should never make gestures like this, but I was 23 at the time and then add the tension of that afternoon on top of it.”

“In these situations, the unity of a group and their toughness are put to a test. We had to come back from 0-2 from the first leg and score at least three goals to go to the final, but that day we stepped on the pitch with the charge of someone who was ready to give a thousand percent.”

“The challenge against Bodø must be faced the same way, also because historically Roma supporters, when faced with a performance of heart and character, will never condemn their players.”

Nela concluded with a brief comment on Mourinho, “I love Mourinho. I would have liked to have been coached by him in my playing days.”

“If he’d ask me to crash into a wall at two hundred miles per hour, I would do it at three hundred.”

Match Center

MatchDay 30
1 Apr 17:00
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