Jose Mourinho latest excuse could be his most pathetic yet

Just when you think you've heard them all

José Mourinho has managed to find an excuse before a ball has even been kicked in Roma's UEFA Conference League last 16 tie against Vitesse Arnhem - claiming the state of the grass on the pitch made him "very sad." Roma have travelled to the Netherlands to face Vitesse on Thursday night as they look to win the Conference League competition in the tournament's inaugural campaign. Ahead of the game at the GelreDome Stadium, Mourinho (who must not be too confident of picking up a result) was keen to lay down his excuses just in case Roma lost. In the long list of Mourinho excuses, the former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss decided to spring his most pathetic one yet, insisting that in all of the year's he has visited the Netherlands, the pitch his side are set to play on has never been as bad as this one. "I am really sad," he said during his pre-match conference. "I have been visiting The Netherlands for 20 years and I am used to good pitches in this country. This pitch is unbelievably bad." Mourinho's time at Roma has been an eventful one to say the least, with the 59-year-old just returning from a two-match touchline ban (his second one of the season) after he was sent off during a draw against Hellas Verona. The Giallorossi have also endured an up and down season in their league campaign too but remain in the hunt for a Champions League place. Roma are currently sixth in the league, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus, but remain a point clear of city rivals Lazio, who are one place behind in seventh. Related links:

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