Jose Mourinho has warned his Roma side to beware the threat posed by defending Serie A champions Napoli ahead of their clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday night.

Walter Mazzarri’s men suffered an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Frosinone in the Coppa Italia in midweek to add to a testing campaign which has left them 14 points off the pace.

Despite last week’s loss at Bologna which ended a run of five domestic games unbeaten, Mourinho’s men will leapfrog Napoli in the table if they manage to claim all three points.

But Mourinho warned the visitors are still much the same side who swept to the title last season, with the exception of star man Kim Min-jae – a summer signing for Bayern Munich – and departed coach Luca Spalletti.

Mourinho told a press conference: “They’ve had problems in terms of a few results, but not the quality of their players.

“They’re the same team that won the league last year, without Kim. Out of the starting 11 that won them the Scudetto, 10 are still playing.

“They have so many options in every position and they’re a top team. We know what the difficulties are. Every time we’ve faced Napoli, the result has always gone down to the wire.”

Napoli had shown signs of turning their season around in recent weeks after ending a run of two straight losses by reaching the next stage of the Champions League then beating Cagliari last week.

But Tuesday’s home loss, which saw Frosinone inflict most of the damage after Napoli had introduced stars including Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia off the bench, left Mazzarri perplexed.

“Perhaps the first-choice players are not accustomed to coming off the bench and absurdly we did better with the lads who don’t play as often,” Mazzarri told Italian media.

“We need to reflect on that. It’s a pity – you can lose in football, but not 4-0. We looked like everyone was just doing their own thing.

“I hope this can be a lesson for the future, as from tomorrow we must all look each other in the eye and change gear.”

What the papers say

Tammy Abraham, 26, could make a return to Chelsea as Roma look to keep hold of Romelu Lukaku. The Daily Mirror reports the Italian club could offer the England striker in a swap deal for Lukaku, 30, who is currently on loan.

Kalvin Phillips is available for a move from Manchester City – at a price. According to the Daily Mirror, City want £50million for the England midfielder, 27, having paid £42m in 2022.

Arsenal have become the latest team to weigh up a move for Crystal Palace’s England defender Marc Guehi, reports The Sun. Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have already been linked to the 23-year-old.

Mikel Arteta is also keen on strengthening his midfield options with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, 24, in his sights according to the Daily Mirror. Real Madrid’s French international Aurelien Tchouameni, 23, is another on the Gunners’ radar.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Victor Osimhen: The Daily Mirror reports the 24-year-old Nigerian has played down talk of him leaving NApoli amid interest from Liverpool.

Jesse Lingard: The former England midfielder is still searching for a new club after Al-Ettifaq had no room in their squad, reports the Daily Star.

Marcus Thuram struck a late winner as Inter Milan returned to the top of Serie A with a 1-0 victory over Roma at San Siro.

The hosts completely dominated the first half but failed to score when chances from Thuram, Hakan Calhanoglu and Benjamin Pavard went begging.

The only team with the intention of winning the game were Inter and it started to look like it was not their day until Thuram turned home with 10 minutes remaining to condemn Jose Mourinho to defeat against his former employers.

Inter’s intent to attack Roma was clear from the outset and they almost had the opener six minutes in when Calhanoglu’s rifled effort from 20 yards bounced off the crossbar.

Denzel Dumfries’ cross found Thuram inside the area and after seeing his initial header blocked, his second stabbed effort was saved magnificently by the legs of Rui Patricio.

It was wave after wave of Inter attacks as Roma continued to sit back and defend, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan next to go close when his effort from 12 yards flew wide of the target before volleying over from outside the area a couple of minutes later.

Half an hour into the contest, defender Pavard found himself with space inside the area but shot well wide of the target.

The second half started with the same pattern as the first with Inter on the front foot and Thuram headed over from Calhanoglu’s free-kick.

After an hour, Roma had failed to register a single shot but Inter had their second on target after Thuram chested a cross into Lautaro Martinez, with his resulting effort deflected softly into the hands of Patricio.

Roma, who had former Inter striker Romelu Lukaku up front, had a chance to hit the target in the 65th minute as Stephan El Shaarawy was brought down by Alessandro Bastoni on the edge of the box, but Leandro Paredes sent the resulting free-kick straight into the wall.

The away side finally started to create a few opportunities and came close to an opener of their own when Bryan Cristante powered a header towards goal but Yann Sommer was alert to keep the score 0-0.

The game became a little stretched for the first time and Inter went down the other end and could have scored but Calhanoglu’s shot was deflected wide.

Back came Inter as they looked to crank up the pressure, but Federico Dimarco’s cross into the six-yard box could not be turned home by Thuram.

The decisive moment of the game came 80 minutes in when Thuram pounced on Dimarco’s cross and turned in to finally give the hosts a deserved lead.

Carlos Augusto almost added a stunning second, unleashing a 30-yard effort which struck the crossbar.

Stephan El Shaarawy has urged his Roma team-mates to maintain their superb run of form when they face Serie A high-flyers Inter Milan on Sunday.

Roma failed to win any of their first three games of the season and were thrashed 4-1 by Genoa at the end of September.

However, Jose Mourinho’s side have since won five games in a row in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one in the process and are top of Europa League Group G with a 100 per cent record.

Asked if something had clicked following the defeat to Genoa, El Shaarawy told the club’s website: “No, it was something that defined us the past two years.

“We manage to work together in challenging situations. We unite and evaluate our mistakes to avoid repeating them.

“Our group has always been our biggest strength. We have done a good job of preparing for the games and what we needed to do in recent weeks, but there is still work to be done.

“The season is long and there will be a crucial encounter on Sunday. We must continue in this way.”

Roma will have their work cut out on Sunday however, Inter having started the Serie A season with seven wins, one draw and one defeat from their opening nine games.

Simone Inzaghi’s side have scored 24 goals and conceded just five for a goal difference of plus 19, the joint best in Europe’s top leagues along with Bayern Munich.

Roma striker Romelu Lukaku is set for a hostile reception as he faces his former club for the first time, despite Inter fans claiming they have been banned from handing out whistles to create a noisy return for the striker.

“Yet another abuse. Whistles prohibited,” the Curva Nord Milano group said on their Instagram page on Friday.

Mourinho, who won several trophies in his two seasons in charge of Inter, has tried to play down Lukaku’s return.

“I’m shocked by the whole thing because I didn’t think Romelu meant that much to a club with Inter’s history. It’s a surprise for me,” Mourinho said earlier this week.

The Portuguese coach will have to watch from the stands on Sunday as he is suspended following his red card at the end of Roma’s win over Monza.

AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli hinted Christian Pulisic could be utilised as a false nine during Friday’s game against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

The former Chelsea forward has scored twice in his first two Serie A appearances and could be deployed in the position in the capital.

Milan will be without fellow summer-signing Noah Okafor who is recovering from injury though Samuel Chukwueze and Yunus Musah who also arrived during the summer will be available “from the first minute.”

Pioli’s side lead the early Serie A table after beating Bologna and Torino in their opening games, and will open up a three-point lead on champions Napoli with victory against Roma, for at least 24 hours.

Of Pulisic’s ability to play as the most advanced forward he said: “Everything is possible in football, when there are two essential factors: the quality of the players and their desire to make themselves available.

“Right now I think it’s important to give the team certainties. We’ve changed a lot, between exits and signings we’ve changed almost the whole squad.”

Roma have made a slow start, picking up just one point from their opening two games, from a 2-2 draw against Salernitana.

However, the complexion of their season was altered on Thursday with the confirmation of the season-long loan signing of Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

Pioli admitted Lukaku represents “a significant signing on paper” but added that any catalyst it might provide for the atmosphere amongst home supporters at the Stadio Olimpico would only serve to “stimulate rather than intimidate” his side.

Lukaku is not expected to start when the sides meet on Friday having not played competitively for Chelsea this season.

“Every match must be a turning point,” said the manager. “We are Milan and we want to play to win. Roma are strong, they only have one point but they had good numbers in the first two matches. We want to give continuity to the first two victories.

“We always want to play a certain type of football, it’s the opponents who change. We want to play our football, trying to minimise mistakes. We’ll have to be careful and precise, we’ll have to play the game and not suffer it.

“We worked a lot together to prepare ourselves in the best possible way. I always insisted on a certain idea of ​​the game and gave continuity to certain field choices.

“Let’s talk about important players, they are strong and intelligent. The whole system is working, even if there are still many things to improve.”

Roma are likely to be without captain Lorenzo Pellegrini and striker Paulo Dybala for the game in the Italian capital, with both players suffering from injury.

Chelsea academy graduate Tammy Abraham completed a £34million transfer to Roma on this day in 2021.

Abraham, who had spent three spells on loan away from Stamford Bridge, left his boyhood club on a permanent deal after a 17-year association.

Forward Abraham signed a contract with Roma until 2026 after they paid 40million euros to reunite him with old Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

Abraham had spent time in and around the squad under Mourinho, but it was Gus Hiddink who handed the striker his Chelsea debut in 2016.

With chances hard to come by, Abraham had successful loan spells in the Sky Bet Championship with Bristol City and Aston Villa, sandwiched between a temporary switch to Swansea when they were in the Premier League.

Frank Lampard’s appointment as Chelsea boss in 2019 saw Abraham finally given a consecutive run of matches and he scored 15 goals in all competitions, but starting opportunities were more limited in the 2020-21 season.

Roma’s pursuit of Abraham in the summer of 2021 proved successful with Mourinho praising the “ambition” of his new number nine after he left the Blues following 30 goals in 82 appearances.

Abraham and Mourinho would go on to enjoy success, combining to win the Europa Conference League last year before they made the Europa League final in May.

Justin Kluivert has "great memories" from his time at Roma, but believes he made the right decision by leaving the Italian giants in search of first-team football.

Kluivert joined Bournemouth earlier this transfer window for a reported £9.6million, ending a five-year stint as a Roma player.

However, the winger had spent the last three seasons out on loan, at RB Leipzig, Nice and Valencia respectively. Kluivert had been close to joining Fulham prior to his switch to Spain.

The 24-year-old joined Roma from Ajax in 2018, but never quite managed to live up to his potential in Serie A.

Asked if he was disappointed at how his move to Roma played out, Kluivert told Stats Perform: "I came from Ajax as a young kid, very young.

"I came to a new environment that was very different, I came from Amsterdam where I lived with my mother, my brothers and to move to a big city like Rome, [to play] in a big team that now plays Champions League – that is very difficult.

"Also, the coach and [technical staff] that brought me there, they left in six months. So there was a new coach, a new director, who have their own plan, and that was also something I had never been through in my football career.

"At Ajax everything was good there, everything was nice. I played, I felt good and then, woah, you sit on the bench four or five games, how do you recover from that?

"That was something I had to learn, but I have a lot of great memories from Roma, and [I had] some great games.

"Especially in the second season, I ended it with seven goals. That was not bad, but just the end of the season - it was not how I hoped [it would be], and I think [for Roma] also.

"It was also in the coronavirus time. And that was not a good time for me, because I was doing well and I was selected for the national team [for Euro 2020], but that got cancelled because of coronavirus, and after that it was not so good.

"I just want to play. I love the sport, so if I don't play four games in a row, or I come in for 50 minutes, I'm not happy with that and I'm still young, so I want to play I want to show my qualities and that's why I chose to go on loan."

One of those loan spells saw Kluivert play alongside Edinson Cavani at Valencia.

"Of course, you learn a lot from somebody like that because the career he has had is unbelievable," Kluivert said of the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United striker.

"The goals he scored - it's unbelievable how many - and I learned a lot. It's just the small details, or how he works in the gym.

"It's the small things that make you think 'This is what a top player does', and it's good to learn from these people that have achieved things that you want to achieve.

"So I'm very happy that I've played with him and I learned some great stuff from him."

Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has been hit with a 10-day suspension for the start of the Serie A season over comments he made about a referee.

Mourinho has been sanctioned by the national federal court of Italy’s football federation, the FIGC, after describing official Daniele Chiffi as “the worst referee (he) had ever seen” after Roma’s match against Monza on May 3.

The Portuguese, who has also managed Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, will not be allowed to appear on the touchline or in the club’s dressing room on matchdays during the first 10 days of the new domestic campaign.

He has also been fined 50,000 euros (just over £43,000).

Last week Mourinho was banned for four matches by UEFA for abusing English referee Anthony Taylor at the Europa League final on May 31.

England and Roma striker Tammy Abraham is recovering in a London hospital after surgery to repair anterior cruciate ligament damage.

Former Chelsea forward Abraham, 25, sustained the injury in Roma’s final game of the season last Sunday when a 2-1 home win against Spezia secured them a sixth-placed Serie A finish.

A Roma statement read: “Tammy Abraham underwent reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Wednesday.

“The operation was performed by Dr Andy Williams at London’s Cromwell Hospital, with AS Roma head of medical Massimo Manara in attendance, and was a complete success.

“The player will remain at the London clinic for a few days before beginning the rehabilitation programme drawn up by the club’s medical staff. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Tammy!”

The Italian club, managed by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, signed Abraham from the Blues in August 2021 for £34million.

Jose Mourinho's behaviour and the subsequent abuse of Anthony Taylor by Roma fans has led to former Premier League referee Mark Halsey calling for stricter punishments.

Taylor and his family were verbally and physically targeted at Budapest airport in the wake of Roma's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla.

Both teams felt aggrieved by some of Taylor's decisions in the game, but Mourinho was particularly vehement, and was filmed shouting abuse at the official long after the final whistle had blown.

Halsey was infuriated by what he saw.

"Everybody that's seen the footage or watched the game, I thought both teams' conduct with their players and the coaching staff was appalling," Halsey told Stats Perform.

"On the night I thought Anthony [Taylor] and his team had a superb game under the most difficult of circumstances. When players don't want to listen, it makes it so very difficult for the referee.

"The referee can only referee what's in front of him. If I was being ultra critical, perhaps they should have removed team officials from the bench. But having said that, I thought they were outstanding on the night.

"Obviously, the criticism of him in the car park when [Mourinho] volleyed abuse again, I think it's appalling, and Roma fans having seen that, I think that's what led to the scenes that we saw at the airport. As much as everybody loves Jose Mourinho, you cannot do that. You cannot condone these actions. 

"I think in the cold light of day, when he sits back down and looks at himself and his family looks at the way he behaves, I think they will think that he deserve everything that's coming his way regarding punishments."

Now, Halsey wants governing bodies such as UEFA to crack down on the abuse by enforcing points deductions.

He continued: "That was a showcase. The Premier League, the Champions League, Europa League are watched around the world by millions and millions of people, including children.

"In England, we have a problem at a grassroots level, we have a problem with youth football, we have a problem with parents. They watch that, and think they can get away with it.

"This season we've seen over £1.5million worth of fines dished out for player and team officials' behaviour on the field of play. Out of the 92 clubs, 52 have been charged £1.5m in fines. What does that tell you? That tells you that the fines are not working. 

"So we've got to start with the points deduction right at the very top. In fact, that goes for if you're playing the Champions League.

"If Roma are in the Europa League next season, and Sevilla are in the Champions League, they've got to start with a points deduction. [They've] got to hit the clubs in the pocket, and take the points away.

"Those points could stop them qualifying for the knockout stages. They've really got to come down hard on them."

As for Mourinho, Halsey hopes the Roma boss faces a significant punishment.

He said: "I just think it was absolutely appalling. I've never seen a game like that and a referee treated like that anywhere.

"Even in my time as an official, I never ever got treatment like that, and I refereed all over the world. That's why I think that UEFA has got to come down extremely hard on Roma and José as well as Sevilla for their behaviour on the field of play."

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."

Jose Mourinho should be suspended from coaching and Roma barred from European competitions following the "disgraceful" harassment of Anthony Taylor after Wednesday's Europa League final.

That is the view of Martin Cassidy, chief executive of Ref Support UK – a charity committed to supporting officials – after Taylor was abused following Roma's penalty shoot-out defeat to Sevilla.

Roma boss Mourinho was fiercely critical of Taylor's performance as Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title via spot-kicks following an ill-tempered 1-1 draw in Budapest.

Thirteen players were booked during the match, while Gonzalo Montiel scored his winning penalty at the second attempt after Rui Patricio was punished for encroachment after initially saving his kick.  

Mourinho was seen shouting expletives at Taylor after the game, and the English official was harassed by Giallorossi supporters when at Budapest Airport with his family.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Cassidy outlined the strong punishments he would like to see issued to coaches who abuse officials. 

"I'd be interested to speak to the legal people in UEFA and FIFA, to see if they could take their coaching badges away from them," Cassidy said.

"Take it away from them. Say, 'I'm sorry, we are going to suspend your badge, you can't coach at that level'. Let's see what that does.

"Obviously, big legal challenges will come that way. But let's have things in place to say, 'Look, a stadium ban is not working on you and one or two fines when you are a multimillionaire are not going to bother you'. 

"Let's really hurt you, let's take you away from being able to coach, let's suspend your coaching badge. Job done."

Cassidy believes Mourinho's behaviour is being replicated by grassroots coaches, and says his club should be barred from Europe or handed a points deduction for next season. 

"It's just disgraceful," he added. "How many chances does this man [Mourinho] want before some national governing body or UEFA or FIFA take appropriate action against him? 

"This behaviour he shows manifests itself at grassroots level when there's a youth referee in the middle, and little mini-Mourinhos are on the sidelines repeating and replicating those antics. 

"It's not good at all. And I just think, the managers – it's not just Jose Mourinho – other people do it and have been doing for a long time… they throw in a small fine, it might be £100 or £1,000. 

"That's a small fine for some of these people, for some of them it is not even a week's wages. They throw in a ban, well, Jose Mourinho has been banned before from stadiums and still found a way of doing his coaching.

"What are UEFA going to do? I think don't allow them to play in Europe next year. 

"If they do allow them to play in Europe, let's have them on a minus points deficit of say three or four points, let's just have a message that is different to what we've been doing previously."

Refereeing body PGMOL says it is appalled by “unjustified and abhorrent” abuse directed at Anthony Taylor after video footage emerged of him being accosted by angry fans at Budapest Airport.

Taylor and his family can be seen trying to evade a mob, who were shouting at him as he travelled home after refereeing Wednesday night’s Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla in the Hungarian capital.

The Premier League official was criticised for his performance in the final by Roma boss Jose Mourinho during his post-match press conference after the Italian side lost on penalties to Sevilla.

And in video footage which later emerged on social media, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is seen gesticulating at Taylor and officials in the stadium car park and heard saying “disgrace”.

In the incident at the airport, clips on Twitter show a chair and drinks being thrown in the direction of Taylor and his group as they make their way through a gathering of Roma fans.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said in a statement on Thursday evening: “PGMOL is aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport.

“We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final.

“We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family.”

UEFA is awaiting Taylor’s reports before deciding whether to take action against Mourinho for his rant.

Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out.

Tempers simmered on and off the pitch in a disappointing final, with 13 players shown yellow cards, seven of them to Roma players, while fourth official Michael Oliver had his work cut out to keep control of both dug-outs.

The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time.

Refereeing body PGMOL says it is appalled by “unjustified and abhorrent” abuse directed at Anthony Taylor after video footage emerged of him being accosted by angry fans at Budapest airport.

Taylor and his family can be seen trying to evade a mob, who were shouting at him as he travelled home after refereeing Wednesday night’s Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla in the Hungarian capital.

The Premier League official was criticised for his performance in the final by Roma boss Jose Mourinho during his post-match press conference after the Italian side lost on penalties to Sevilla.

And in video footage which later emerged on social media, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is seen gesticulating at Taylor and officials in the stadium car park and heard saying “disgrace”.

Following the incident at the airport, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said in a statement on Thursday evening: “PGMOL is aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport.

“We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final.

“We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family.”

UEFA is awaiting Taylor’s reports before deciding whether to take action against Mourinho for his rant.

Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out.

Tempers simmered on and off the pitch in a disappointing final, with 13 players shown yellow cards, seven of them to Roma players, while fourth official Michael Oliver had his work cut out to keep control of both dug-outs.

The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time.

Sevilla's aura in the Europa League is similar to the fear Real Madrid instil into Champions League opponents, says Steven Nzonzi.

Jose Mourinho's Roma were the latest team to fall foul of Sevilla in a Europa League final as the Andalusian side extended their remarkable record of wins in UEFA's second-tier club competition to seven.

Only five teams – Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Liverpool and Bayern Munich – have won more major European honours than Sevilla, who beat Roma 4-1 on penalties after a tightly contested 1-1 draw in Budapest.

Nzonzi, who helped Unai Emery's Sevilla beat Liverpool in 2016 to seal a third straight Europa League crown, believes the club have now created such an air of dominance in the tournament that they can be compared to Madrid, who have won the Champions League/European Cup on 14 occasions.

He told Stats Perform: "I don't know if they are the greatest team, it is hard to say but, of course they are one of the best teams to play in that competition.

"I really feel they have that energy that experience going on in that competition and it makes them win, it reminds me of Real Madrid in the Champions League.

"Real Madrid are another level and the won the Champions League more [times] than Sevilla won the Europa League but [Sevilla are] one of those teams when they are in that competition, you feel like anything is possible and they can win it."

Asked why Sevilla are able to sustain such success in the Europa League, Nzonzi replied: "It's really hard to say because sometimes you play against other teams that are better than you.

"They may play better or on paper have better players than you but you are still the one ending the game or winning the competition.

"I think it's the whole vibe, the whole energy going on, in the changing room, in the club there is a confidence because if you already won it one, two, three, four, five, six times, you have the confidence to win it again and feel that you are the superior team in that competition.

"Then there is the fans. I watched the semi-final and when Juventus played in Sevilla, I looked at the fans and I said, 'They [Juve] are not winning, the fans are just so good'. They are just pushing you so much, it is very difficult for the other team to feel confident.

"I think the big thing with Sevilla is the fans. I feel it is a big part of the energy that is happening for them in the Europa league.

"I remember going to the stadium and having a lot of fans not stopping the bus, but following the bus. [In the 2015-16 final] there were much more Liverpool fans in the stadium, but we still could feel the energy of the Sevilla fans."

Sevilla were embroiled in a relegation scrap in LaLiga until Jose Luis Mendilibar replaced Jorge Sampaoli in March, and while they are set for a mid-table finish, their Europa League triumph means Champions League football beckons next term.

"It feels like the Europa League has big things to do with Sevilla, because it is just incredible," Nzonzi added. 

"And I think it is even better because they are not qualifying for the Champions League through LaLiga."