Jose Mourinho is already finding the nuance in Italian news conferences a mixed blessing after the Roma boss was served a tactical puzzler ahead of the Serie A season opener.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager suggested he had been pining for Italy while working in the Premier League last season, due to frustration with the English media.
But when faced with a question about Roma's full-backs struggling to deliver effective crosses in the European clash with Trabzonspor on Thursday, Mourinho initially suggested he did not want to answer.
"I will start with a joke," he told reporters. "In England I always used to say that I missed the press conferences in Italy, because here we talk more about tactics – whereas they only want to talk about controversies.
"Now I'm back in Italy, though, I don't want to talk about tactics because you are too good at it!"
But Mourinho went on to give a full answer to the enquiry, admitting Roma "messed up" several crosses and concluding his team would "try to build up our attacking play so we have a number of different options".
Roma edged their Europa Conference League game 2-1 in Turkey, and on Sunday they begin their Serie A campaign with a home test against Fiorentina.
Tammy Abraham could make his debut in that game, Mourinho confirmed, even though the striker has been unable to train with his new team-mates due to pandemic restrictions on his involvement since arriving from Chelsea.
"Tomorrow he will be in the squad," Mourinho said, as quoted by Roma's official website.
"He has not trained this week with the team, he's been training alone because those are the current rules. But he has played pre-season at Chelsea, he's played in some decent games with them and I think he's physically ready to play.
"It's been a tough week for him, though, with all the travelling and the medical tests and the paperwork that has had to be signed. But he will be with us. We have three forwards: Borja [Mayoral], him, Eldor [Shomurodov]. I am delighted to have them."
Mourinho made a cutting remark ahead of the Trabzonspor game by complimenting the work of the Turkish club's ground staff and suggesting on Instagram that those responsible for the state of Roma's own pitch were on holiday.
Returning to the issue on Saturday, Mourinho said: "In England the climate helps a lot with the quality of the pitches, and that is true in other aspects too – so it is a little difficult to compare England with other places.
"The pitch was not good last week, and I have my doubts about whether it will be great tomorrow – but I have confidence in the professionalism and pride of those whose job it is to work on it.
"For sure, the week after, when Lazio play at home, the pitch will be in even better condition for them.
"So, there should be a bit of pressure applied from everyone, not just from my Instagram – which is a bit of a mean Instagram where I have no filter. I think something, and I just post it. No-one can control me.
"With a little pressure from us all we can make the fields at a better level. When I look at the level of the coaches who are in Serie A and others who are no longer there like Conte, Gattuso and Ranieri, I think we all want quality football and therefore we also need quality pitches."
Birmingham investment approved by EFL
The EFL has approved Tom Wagner’s imminent investment in Birmingham.
The American financier and his company, Knighthead Capital Management, has agreed to purchase a 45 per cent stake in Blues under Shelby Companies Limited.
Birmingham and Wagner still need the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to confirm the deal before it is officially completed with the club’s parent company, Birmingham Sports Holdings Limited, having been looking for investment.
A club statement read: “The English Football League (EFL) has today approved the acquisition of 45 per cent in the Club by Shelby Companies Limited and is now awaiting approval in accordance with the rules of Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
“This exciting announcement comes after the exchange of two signed Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPA) on Sunday, 7 May.
“Shelby Companies Limited is managed by American financier, Tom Wagner, who was in attendance at Blues’ final game of the 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship season against Sheffield United.”
New Cardiff boss Erol Bulut still haunted by Turkish earthquake
New Cardiff manager Erol Bulut says he and his family are still affected by the huge earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey four months ago.
Bulut was manager of Gaziantep until nine days before the destruction there on February 6, but he was still in the Turkish city – just 23 miles from the epicentre – when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit.
“It was four in the morning and we were sleeping, I felt my house shake,” Bulut said of the earthquake which killed over 50,000 in Turkey and left nearly another 10,000 dead in neighbouring Syria.
“My kids still have a thing about that, thinking that it’s shaking and shaking.
“The small villages around Antep (Gaziantep) were totally destroyed. We couldn’t go out.
“We couldn’t drive to Istanbul because the streets were destroyed. We made a plan to get out of there.
“My squad was living on the 20th floor and they were shocked more. I called my squad together and they slept for one night in my house.
“Thank God I arranged a private jet and we left from Antep the next day. An ex team-mate of mine, one from Fenerbahce, he died.
“Also an ex-coach who was also with me, he died, too. It was not easy. If I think about this I don’t feel well. It was not easy for my country.”
Former Turkey Under-21 international Bulut has signed a one-year contract with the option of another two should things go well in Wales.
The 48-year-old has enjoyed success in Turkey by guiding unheralded Yeni Malatyaspor and Alanyaspor into the Europa League.
He also had eight months in charge of Fenerbahce – during which time he signed Germany international Mesut Ozil from Arsenal – but was sacked in March 2021 with the Istanbul-based club third in the Super Lig.
Bulut arrives in the Welsh capital on the back of Cardiff finishing 21st in the Sky Bet Championship and employing three managers – Steve Morison, Mark Hudson and Sabri Lamouchi – during a troubled campaign.
But Bulut, who was approached by Cardiff in 2020 before becoming Fenerbahce manager, said: “I had a conversation with Vincent (Tan, club owner) two weeks ago via a Zoom call.
“Vincent already got promoted two times to the Premier League. Why not a third time? We will make everything possible.
“Last year was not so easy to keep in the league, but we don’t want to be in that position again. So we will have to work for that.”
Cardiff are currently working under a transfer embargo with the EFL as they cannot pay transfer fees for players until May 2024.
The club is challenging the EFL ruling but it is unlikely to be revoked during this summer’s transfer window.
Bulut, who has targeted eight to 10 summer signings and will now run the rule over Cardiff’s out-of-contract players, said: “We have some players in our hand.
“Some players we will have to discuss, I think seven have contracts finished. I have to see the players in training for the first 10 days.
“I think around eight to 10 (signings) can be possible.”
Mourinho and Roma must take responsibility for Anthony Taylor abuse, insists Ref Support chief
Jose Mourinho and Roma must take responsibility for their actions over the abuse of referee Anthony Taylor after the Europa League final, says Ref Support UK chief executive Martin Cassidy.
The Giallorossi were defeated on penalties by Sevilla following an ill-tempered 1-1 draw last Wednesday, bringing their coach's perfect record in continental finals to an end.
Mourinho lambasted Taylor's performance, with the Roma coach confronting the official following full-time, before fans harassed him at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport afterwards.
Cassidy, who leads a charity that offers support to match officials, suggested Mourinho's conduct exacerbated matters, and that both him and his club need to own up to their actions.
"My reaction was shock, but not surprise," he told Stats Perform. "I just hope that Anthony and his family are well and safe. To see the way it's manifested itself [is awful].
"I believe Jose Mourinho needs to take a chunk of responsibility here for this gerrymandering he has been doing that's resulted in this. Roma fans don't need any encouragement to behave in the way that the video has shown.
"It'd be really good to see Roma come out and condemn misbehaviour. I haven't seen it. It'd be really good if Jose Mourinho would come out and condemn this behaviour.
"It'd be great to see where UEFA are in this and what they want to do and what went wrong. Hundreds of referees go out each season abroad [and] we don't have these situations happen.
"It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that that was going to be a very hostile situation for Anthony."
Cassidy also reiterated fears that the abuse surrounding Taylor could have a further negative effect on grassroots officials, who already are forced to deal with harassment and improper conduct.
"How he kept his manner so calm when that was going on just shows the strength of character and emotional intelligence that Anthony Taylor has got," he added.
"[But] we're talking about the guy who had worldwide praise for how he responded to Christian Eriksen when he collapsed on a pitch.
"This isn't some run-of-the-mill, meat-and-two-veg ref we are talking about here. If he can find himself in these situations, what hope have grassroots referees got?
"It's a terrible end to the season for him. It should have ended on a highlight. You know if it wasn't for Manchester City getting to the Champions League final, I dare say that Anthony Taylor would have been doing [that].
"He will be devastated that it's ended this way, when it should be on an absolute peak of achievements. But I really believe that he will be getting supported.
"It's going to take a long time for [him] to get over his family being in that position. I think it'll take a long time for anyone to get over.
"Praise to him, he never reacted, he was controlled. He looked after his family and he got them out of that situation. But shame on Roma and shame on Jose Mourinho."
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