Tea time for Mourinho and Rodgers
JOSE MOURINHO has pledged to put the kettle on and make Brendan Rodgers a cuppa tonight.
Leicester manager Rodgers tracked down a rare £500 bottle of Mourinho’s favourite Barca Velha wine when Roma visited last week as the clubs drew 1-1 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Rodgers wanted to thank Mourinho for helping him at the start of his career at Chelsea, when the ‘Special One’ was
(1) V
By James Nursey in charge from 2004-2007 and promoted the Northern Irishman from the club’s academy.
And Rodgers has only asked for a cup of tea in return at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma manager Mourinho said: “I bought him a very nice gift. But because he wants tea, I will keep the gift for me and give him tea, that is no problem.” Mourinho respects Leicester’s determination to win but says nothing the Foxes do will top the club’s 5,000-1 title triumph in 2016. He said: “Being champions with Leicester means more than three titles with Chelsea or with Manchester United. “They should be happy they won that very special title. But of course they want to win, it is the only way they can reach European competition next season.” Roma are without
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who went off injured last week.
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said: “The way we played in the first leg gives us confidence but we need to be ruthless because they had two chances in the first game and scored one.
“We have to limit them and be clinical when we get our chances.”
ROMA (probable): Patricio; Mancini, Smalling, Ibanez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Pellegrini, Oliveira, Zalewski; Zaniolo, Abraham. LEICESTER (probable): Schmeichel; Justin, Fofana, Evans, Castagne; Maddison, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Barnes, Vardy, Lookman.