José Mourinho accepts blame for pounding Roma Arctic Circle

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José Mourinho took responsibility after his Roma side suffered a stunning 6-1 loss to Norwegians Bodo / Glimt in the Uefa Conference League.

This is the first time in Mourinho’s long and successful managerial career that one of his teams has conceded six goals in a game.

Bodo / Glimt are the reigning Norwegian champions but have little pedigree in European competitions and, even facing a second-string Roma team, it was a remarkable result.

Speaking on asroma.com, Mourinho said: “I decided to put the side that I did. It’s my responsibility. Obviously I did it with good intentions in mind, for two reasons main.

“On the one hand, I wanted to give a chance to these players who worked very hard but didn’t have a lot of luck to play. On the other side, given the squad we have and all the games we have to play, I wanted to rest some of the players who have played just about every game.

“On an artificial pitch, in weather conditions like these, I decided to rotate a lot of players. Then we lost to a team that was better than us. It’s simple. Bodo’s first team is better than the one that started the game for us.

On the effect of the result on his team, Mourinho added: “It always leaves an impact. I have no doubts about it. But I’ve already spoken to the guys in the locker room and been honest with them.

Erik Botheim and Patrick Berg put the hosts two in 20 minutes, but a comeback was expected when Carles Perez pulled one out in the 28th minute.

Instead, Roma found themselves on the wrong side of a four-goal second-half performance, with Botheim and Amahl Pellegrino on the scoresheet with a brace from Ola Solbakken.

At the end of the game, Roma players – including England striker Tammy Abraham, who came on in the second half – were embroiled in a clash with away supporters as they thanked them for having made the trip.

The result puts Bodo / Glimt at the top of Group C and on track to qualify for the next stage.

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