‘He could be a swimmer’

Published 12/11/2023 at 21:07 GMT

Jose Mourinho hit out at his former Chelsea player Pedro after the Derby della Capitale between Lazio and Roma ended goalless. Mourinho accused Pedro, who was signed by the 60-year-old in his final season at Chelsea, of diving during Sunday’s Serie A game. “Pedro is a fantastic player but he could also be a swimmer because the way he dives in the pool is fantastic,” he said.

Pedro e Paredes litigano durante il derby Lazio-Roma – Serie A 2023/2024

Image credit: Getty Images

Jose Mourinho couldn’t resist a swipe at his former player Pedro following Sunday’s Serie A derby between Roma and Lazio on Sunday.

The Derby della Capitale ended goalless, but in many ways it did not disappoint. There was passion and spite, every bit as might be expected from one of Europe’s most heated derbies, and eight yellow cards were handed out.

Roma dominated the opening exchanges and Romelu Lukaku probably should have put his team ahead with an early header.

Rick Karsdorp had a trio of chances from inside the box but he too failed to make them count.

Luis Alberto hit the post for Lazio when momentum swung midway through the first half and coach Maurizio Sarri was cautioned as his emotions briefly got the better of him following some tasty exchanges.

Paulo Dybala had a huge chance to open the scoring for Roma just after the break, and Ciro Immobile wasted a similar opportunity right before the final whistle, but there was little more quality to speak in the intervening 45 minutes.

In the entire match, the two sides posted a combined 0.72 expected goals.

They also shared 25 fouls almost evenly, and split the eight bookings; four apiece.

After the match, Roma boss Mourinho was in typical form.

He took aim at his former player Pedro for what he perceived as some less than entirely honest play.

Signed by Mourinho in his final season at Chelsea, the 60-year-old felt Pedro was looking for contact on a number of occasions during the match and his former boss wanted to make sure everyone knew it.

Speaking to the press after the match, Mourinho said: “Pedro is a fantastic player but he could also be a swimmer because the way he dives in the pool is fantastic.”

Seventh-placed Roma sit three points outside the top four in Serie A, with Lazio a further point back in 10th.

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Eurosport.co.uk – https://www.eurosport.com/football/serie-a/2023-2024/jose-mourinho-accuses-pedro-of-diving-after-feisty-rome-derby-as-lazio-and-roma-play-out-goalless-dr_sto9881687/story.shtml