Chris Smalling Denies Mourinho’s Claims and Affirms Commitment to Roma

Chris Smalling has responded to former Roma manager Jose Mourinho’s comments and denied allegations that he is unwilling to play through pain. The 60-year-old Mourinho was recently sacked by Roma due to a string of poor results, leaving the team in mid-table.

Smalling and Mourinho’s History

Smalling and Mourinho previously worked together at Manchester United, during which time Mourinho questioned Smalling’s durability. They were reunited at Roma, where they initially found success before Smalling suffered a knee injury that has kept him out of action for the past four-and-a-half months.

Mourinho had suggested that Smalling holds back and lacks the pain threshold of other athletes. However, following Mourinho’s dismissal, Smalling took to Instagram to clarify that he has never considered leaving the club and has always prioritized his teammates’ needs.

Smalling Sets the Record Straight

In his Instagram post, Smalling stated, “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 teammates 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.”

He also addressed the insinuation that he has dictated his own treatment plan, stating, “Guided only by specialists, I have been open to all solutions, short and long, and any insinuation that I have dictated a treatment plan are false. With surgery not being an option proposed by any specialist I have engaged with, I have to trust the expertise that guides my recovery plan which, contrary to popular belief, does include painkillers. A lot of them, in fact.”

Mourinho’s Replacement

Mourinho has already been replaced by Roma legend Daniele De Rossi as the new head coach. De Rossi expressed his excitement about taking on the role and emphasized the importance of competitiveness and achieving goals.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.