In the second leg of the 0-0 Champions League/final, Serie A powerhouse Roma defeated Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund with a score of -0 at home, and with the advantage of the away goals rule, they finally "picked up" and advanced to the quarterfinals. The result sparked a bitter controversy between Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and Roma boss De Rossi.
Roma missed the promotion process
In the first leg at home, Roma beat Borussia Dortmund -0 thanks to goals from Belotti and Tammy Abraham. The next time they played with Germany, Roma were given a goal in the first half by Borussia Dortmund to take the lead. In the second half, Dortmund continued to dominate the field, but failed to extend their lead. Roma relied on a win-0 at home to advance to the quarterfinals by relying on the away goals rule to "pick up leaks".
The result sparked widespread controversy both inside and outside the football world. Borussia Dortmund believe they clearly dominated the second leg and created more chances to score and deserved to win. Roma, on the other hand, believe that their promotion is reasonable according to the rules of the tournament and there is nothing to blame.
Jose Mourinho blasted the referee for the decision
In his post-match interview, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho pointed out that there was a serious problem with the referee's decision on a penalty for Roma in the second leg. He believes that the penalty decision is a "cover-up" to give Roma a chance to advance.
Mourinho also said that he has an absolutely negative attitude towards such a referee decision. He criticized: "We should respect the referee, but that doesn't mean we have to accept all the ridiculous decisions." There is clearly a problem with such a sentence and it is a cover-up of the truth. ＂
It can be seen from Mourinho's remarks that he has a lot of doubts about the referee's decision in the second leg and strongly disagrees with it. He believes that without the problematic penalty award, Dortmund could have progressed.
De Rossi actually fought back
In the face of Mourinho's bombardment, Roma coach De Rossi gave a strong response. He called on everyone to respect the referee's decision and not to take an absolute negative attitude towards the referee's professional judgment.
De Rossi said: "We should all respect the referee's decision, whether it is right or wrong. When the referee makes a decision on the field, we should obey it. Mr. Mourinho should respect the referee and not absolutely reject his opponents. ＂
It can be seen from De Rossi's remarks that he does not agree with Mourinho's questioning and denial of the referee's decision. He believes that no matter what the referee decides, we should respect it, which is the basic moral bottom line of football. De Rossi's words are actually giving Mourinho a powerful response with his actions.
Dortmund was still glorious despite defeat
Despite missing out on the quarter-finals, Dortmund's performance in the second leg was impressive. Playing at home, they rewrote the score to a -0 lead thanks to Erling Haaland's goal. In the second half, Dortmund continued to dominate the pitch and created more scoring opportunities, but failed to extend the lead due to insufficient wrist power.
Borussia Dortmund beat Roma 0-0 in the second leg, but they missed out on the quarter-finals due to the away goals rule. Despite the disappointment, Dortmund's performance was impressive, and they showed a tenacious fighting spirit to fight for Bundesliga football.
The controversial match is still widely discussed both inside and outside the football world. Which of the two sides is more convincing? According to the rules of the tournament, Roma's "leakage" promotion is reasonable. However, whether the referee's penalty decision was really problematic remains to be clarified. Regardless of the final result, the game presented us with a fascinating show and a deeper appreciation of the charm of football.