Roma coach Jose Mourinho believes the state of the pitch at Vitesse Arnhem is tactical.
Roma are in Holland on Thursday for the first-leg of their Europa Conference League round 16 tie.
Mourinho said, “We are unbeaten in seven Serie A games and in the last couple I saw great concentration from the first minute to the last,” said the coach in his press conference.
“When you are playing in a knockout competition, every minute is crucial and any dip in concentration can get you eliminated. This is why I feel confident.”
On the Vitesse, he continued: “This is a surprise for me, because it’s the first time I’ve played in the Netherlands on a pitch that is not suited to football. It will be very difficult to play, but we are here to get a result and reach the quarter-finals.
“There will be no squad rotation, we will use our strongest team and strong players on the bench too. Our objectives are clear, we have Serie A and the Conference League, we know every game is decisive.
“I started out with Louis van Gaal, so I can only express my gratitude to him. However, considering the horrible state of the pitches now, perhaps the attacking Dutch approach is changing. I’ve been coming to this country for over 20 years and the pitches were always in great condition. I don’t understand how it’s possible.”
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