Roma boss took aim at former ace Pedro after his side’s 0-0 draw with rivals Lazio.
The rivals played out a draw at the Stadio Olimpico, though Roma were fortunate to hold on for a point.
Roma have recovered from a poor start to win three of their last five matches, which has helped the club into 7th and three points off fourth.
Lazio are just a point behind, but they’re 10th in a congested mid-table in .
Mourinho has been criticised for his defensive tactics this season, and Lazio certainly had the better chances as the two teams played out a draw.
But the former Chelsea boss says his decision to double up on Pedro was down to the Spaniard being a ‘born diver’, and he couldn’t afford to leave him in one-on-one situations.
‘I didn’t want to leave Mancini alone with Pedro,’ said Mourinho.
‘I needed Karsdorp to stay and help him.
‘Pedro is a fantastic player but he is a born diver, an excellent swimmer, he dives into the pool just beautifully.’
Pedro played under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard joined the Blues from Barcelona in 2015, when he chose Chelsea over Manchester United.
The winger spent five years in west London before joining Roma, and he spent a year there before moving across the city to Lazio.
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