Roma coach Jose Mourinho said he is experiencing “the worst start to a season as manager” with his team languishing in 16th place in Serie A after managing just one win in their opening six league games.
Last season’s Europa League finalists have the third worst defensive record in Serie A this season with 11 goals conceded. Roma’s latest setback came on Thursday in a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Genoa.
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“It’s also the worst start of my career, but I think it was also the first time in Roma’s history that we played two European finals in a row,” Mourinho told a news conference.
“You can cry internally because it hurts your heart, also because of my relationship with Roma fans it affects me even more, because it is not a personal issue but also a general one that makes me feel this way,” he added.
Mourinho joined Roma in the summer of 2021 and guided the club to a surprise Europa Conference League triumph in his first season.
It was Mourinho’s fifth European title and Roma’s first continental trophy since 1961.
Roma reached the Europa League final last season but fell after penalties to Sevilla.
“It’s the group we have and it’s with this group that we have to get out of,” Mourinho said. “There is no other story, there is no market, no one comes in, no one leaves, it is the squad we have with its qualities and its problems. We have to move forward, there is no time to cry.
“But tomorrow we are there working, the next game will be three points, not six or eight. But it becomes a very important game for us.”
The Portuguese tactician has coached FC Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Manchester United in his career and has experienced difficult times before.
His United team took 13 points from the first seven Premier League games in the 2016-2017 campaign. However, he went on to guide United to win the EFL Cup final and the Europa League that season.
Roma are back in action on Sunday at home to Frosinone before facing Servette in the Europa League group game on Oct. 5.