Chris Smalling has struck back at Jose Mourinho’s comments about his commitment to Roma. These comments came from Mourinho’s managerial dismissal.
What did Mourinho say about Smalling?
Mourinho wasn’t pleased with Smalling as the Englishman has had a difficult time with injuries whilst at Roma. His latest came in November which saw Smalling out for five months.
Mourinho went on to slam Smalling claiming he ‘can’t play through pain and that he ‘holds something back’. Mourinho then oddly said that Smalling ‘maybe struggles to sleep through toothache’. These quotes led Roma fans to turn on Smalling and his integrity within the club.
Mourinho and Smalling have a long history together. Smalling was a valued player whilst Mourinho was at Manchester United. The two reunited when Mourinho was appointed in 2021.
Smalling hits back at Mourinho
After Mourinho was sacked as Roma manager, Smalling took to Instagram to defend himself over Mourinho’s comments. He stated that he loves and respects Roma and he’d never do anything to tarnish the reputation of the club.
The full statement read: “Since signing for AS Roma in 2019, my commitment and loyalty to the club has never wavered,” Smalling wrote in a post Smalling shared in both English and Italian.
“The minute I stepped foot in Roma, I instantly felt at home. Roma is my home, and the relationship I have built with AS Roma fans is something I cherish dearly.
“For that reason I wanted to jump on here to address some of the rumours that I have seen circulating over recent months. Let me start by clarifying that I have never asked to, nor even contemplated, leaving this great club.
“Speaking openly, the last few months have proved to be some of the most frustrating of my career. There are things in this game and in life that we can control, and others we simply can’t. This injury has been one thing that we couldn’t.
“No footballer wants to spend their days in a treatment room, and this period of time away from my teammates has challenged me, with setback after setback. I have, and will always, put the needs of my team-mates first, but the absolute priority for the medical team is to guarantee that I can play a significant role in the latter part of the season and for seasons to come.”
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