Speaking ahead of his team’s encounter against Cagliari, Sassuolo boss Alessio Dionisi explained why he lashed out at Roma manager Jose Mourinho after his team fell 2-1 to the Giallorossi last weekend.
Dionisi took issue with comments the Special One made prior to the game regarding Domenico Berardi. Mourinho was critical of the Italian international’s behavior and fair play, stating, “He’s a player I both love and hate. He needs to show more respect to his opponents.”
Dionisi eventually responded at full-time, “If there is a team in Italy with fair play, then it is us, not like the opponents we had today. My colleagues love to talk about their opponents, but I prefer to talk about the game.”
Asked to expand on the spat, the Sassuolo technician insisted he was obligated to stick up for one of his players.
“I said what I needed to say, I felt obliged to do it,” he said. “I’ve got no regrets, I had the will to defend what I do, what I believe, and, above all, the shirt and players I represent.”
“Of course there’s still some regret from the loss to Roma, mostly because of the finer points we got wrong and the opportunities we fumbled.”
Adding, “We could’ve gotten a result against a team we’re an underdog against. The regret comes from a detail that determined the final result just like it has in other games. This is something we haven’t improved upon yet but we’re working.”
“In a low-scoring sport like football, the details play a huge part in the final outcome. Hopefully the defeat to the Giallorossi can serve as a lesson for us.”
