After a season of near perfection, Arne Slot made his first wrong move.
Asked before Feyenoord’s Europa League tie with Roma what he thought of the Italians’ playing style, Slot said: ‘I respect Roma. Their style gets results, but I prefer to watch Manchester City or Napoli. I am honest about this.’
Fair enough – unless the Roma manager happens to be Jose Mourinho, who has made a career of turning the words of rival managers to his advantage. So when Roma won 4-2 on aggregate, Mourinho pursued Slot down the tunnel at the Stadio Olimpico, shouting: ‘You watch Napoli, you should watch us’ before heading up the stairs, ranting about ‘respect’ and referring again to Napoli and City.