JOSE MOURINHO amazingly opted to bring off new signing Houssem Aouar last night and finish a game with ten men after using all his subs.
The classy gesture came as his Roma side were in pre-season action against Partizani Tirana, a match that they would eventually win 2-1.
Sky SportsRoma new boy Houssem Aouar was involved in a bizarre incident last night[/caption]
Sky SportsJose Mourinho decided to bring off the star and finish their friendly with a man down[/caption]
Sky SportsAouar looked completely baffled as his boss explained the reasons behind his decision[/caption]
However, the Special One decided to do it the hard way and see out the game without their one man advantage.
Having already made his allocated eight changes, Mourinho took off ex-Lyon midfielder Aouar in the 79th-minute.
While Tirana had possession at the back, the Portuguese boss called the confused looking new boy over to the touchline.
He put his arm around the 25-year-old and explained to the Algerian international why he was no longer going to be playing as the star continued to make his way to the seats in the dugout.
The strange action was allegedly down to two main factors, according to Corriere dello Sport.
They claimed that Mourinho took Aouar off to level the game as Tirana were playing with 10 men.
It is also reported that the opposition’s manager Zoran Zekic had made a mistake during the second period by replacing one of his players with one that had already been substituted off.
Despite it being a non-competitive contest, the referee refused to let them rectify his error, forcing the hosts to play the remainder of the clash with a player less.
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However, Mourinho also decided to ensure that Aouar, a former transfer target for Manchester United, would avoid suffering an injury.
The ace had already endured a number of rough challenges from the Tirana team and the Roma manager was not prepared to risk any more ahead of the Serie A season.
Roma were leading 2-0 at the time of Aouar’s exit, and even though their opponents managed to pull one back, they still held on for the victory.
They begin their Serie A campaign with a home clash to Salernitana next Sunday.
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