Mourinho left frustrated after early penalty decision

The Giallorossi were handicapped by an early penalty awarded against them - as Nico Gonzalez and Giacomo Bonaventura notched inside the first 11 minutes to send the home side on the way to victory in Florence.

Here's what Mourinho had to say after the game...

It seemed like Fiorentina had more energy tonight. Is that the only explanation behind this defeat?

“The explanation … we have been waiting for an explanation for a number of games now and we haven’t got one. Today there are two explanations. One is that, after Thursday’s game [in the Europa Conference League] we didn’t have the energy, mentally or physically. We always knew that was going to be a bit of a difference compared to a side that have been preparing for this game for a week.

"But I would also like an explanation from [VAR official] Mr Banti from Livorno, who isn’t far from here. [The penalty] is a touch but not a foul, and the referee who was right there did not award a penalty. It’s not an issue for VAR but Mr. Banti intervened anyway.

"If we are talking about the three points today, then we can stop there. I will say that, beyond the penalty from Banti, Fiorentina were stronger than us tonight, they played with a different energy and speed and they seemed more focused. They deserved to win.

“But the problem is that we are not just talking about the three points today – we are talking about Venezia, Bologna, and many, many, many other episodes where there were no explanations give. Where is Mr. Banti now? Coverciano? Milan? I don’t know where VAR is but why have they called a referee like Guida, who was 10 metres from it and saw in person it wasn’t a penalty, to have another look? Why? These are the answers we want and we don’t get.

“Yes, we reached a final that took its toll mentally and emotionally, and that’s hard to put behind you quickly in a city like Rome and a club like Roma. But we have a league season to play and what’s been happening to this team is really too much.”

How come the team seemed to start this game so timidly – whereas Fiorentina entered at 100 miles an hour? They played vertically where we played horizontally, and we hardly saw anything of Zalewski…

“It’s very simple. Zalewski, the player you mention, was probably on the bench for the Primavera 12 months ago. Twelve months later and he has played eight or nine games in a row, including the quarters and semi-finals of a European competition.

“That difference in verticality and horizontal play is in the 14 extra games of 90 minutes we’ve played this season. Fourteen more than the team we faced today, who have been preparing for this game all week.

“If we consider that players run around 10km a game, then over 14 games that really starts to add up. So that difference is in the little difference intensity and the concentration. It’s very simple.

“I thank you for your praise – we know as a team we have the respect of the Roma fans, but we want respect from Banti too, as he has sat in his office and deprived these lads of many, many points they deserved.”