Return to Norwegian soil after 167 days of humiliation in the harshest regions of Bodø/Glimt.
Jose Mourinho, escorted by police, arrived 700 meters from Bodo airport in the cold winter town of Espmera on Wednesday night just before 20:00 – and went straight to meet the Norwegian and Italian press.
There he naturally encountered what it means to return to Norway to make up for the 1-6 loss on Norwegian soil in the past.
No two matches will be equal, in part because we’ve changed so much in our squad since the first match that it’s hard to compare. In addition, we have completely different self-confidence and motivation. The last time it was a group match… Now it’s the knockout stage, Mourinho points out.
He included coaching legend Brian Reynolds, Gonzalo Villar, Borgia Mayoral and Riccardo Calaviori as examples of players who finally started against Bodo/Glimt – but aren’t even back in Rome.
Mourinho has also faced interest in Bodø/Glimt’s Ola Solbakken. This question prompted him to send what should be interpreted as a stab into the Bodo/Glimt camp.
– I’m not interested in anyone, I’m interested in winning the match. I’m not talking about other players, especially players who play for other clubs. Bodo has a lot of good players… and two of them are good at talking too, they love to talk. But we’re here at Bodo for them tomorrow and next week we’re waiting for them in Rome, says Mourinho – a clear message to some in the Gilmett community.
Later, Mourinho was asked to clarify this:
– Someone thought it was a good draw for them. It could be all about self-confidence, which is a positive, said the 59-year-old.
It is also asked if Mourinho was referred to the NRK case earlier on Thursday: Bodø/Glimt captain Ulrik Saltnes appears to think Mourinho had a special demeanor the last time he was in Norway.
“He looked grumpy, and he was grumpy all the time,” Saltness said recently when he visited P3.
– full respect
The last time Jose Mourinho and Roma were in Norway, the Italian big club was humiliated in the most brutal way. Bodo/Glimt won the whole game 6-1 against a little Roma reserve in the winter cold of Aspmera.
After the match, at the time, Mourinho answered “yes” to a question if he was shocked by the result.
– It looked as if Ola Solbakken was riding a MotoGP, while the Defenders were riding bikesMourinho said about the match in which Bodo / Glimt winger scored two goals and was threatening his life every time he participated.
He maintains that he now meets Bodo/Glimt with great respect.
– I respect Bodou and it is a good team, says Mourinho.
When asked that Bodo/Glimt has made some changes as well, it seems clear that Mourinho did at least little to prepare for Thursday’s settlement.
– They changed some players, but the way they think about football is the same. The profiles of the players who participated are not much different. If you look at the left-back who was here, although his right-footed, they are quite similar. Mourinho says the team dynamics are the same, it’s a team in good shape.
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