Roma coach Jose Mourinho says his reserves weren't good enough after their 6-1 humiliation at Europa Conference League opponents Bodo/Glimt.
It was the first time Mourinho had seen a team concede six goals.
Mourinho said, "After going 3-1 down, we completely lost our heads and seemed to score every time they got the ball. The explanation is clear, they were stronger and it is my fault, because their first team is better than our second string. The side with the most quality won the game.
“It is my responsibility, I chose to use these players. However, if I had played the first team, someone might get injured or hurt, then we'd concede four or five goals against Napoli on Sunday and that decision would've been considered wrong too.
“When four or five weeks ago I said we had to go to the Vatican to pray for no injuries, I did know what I was talking about.
“The XI that Bodo put out today had more quality than our second string. Evidently, I must keep playing the same guys every game and take them to the limits of exhaustion."
Asked if he underestimated his Norwegian opponents, Mourinho replied: “No, perhaps I over-estimated the capabilities of my own players. I knew Bodo/Glimt were the strongest opponent in this group, but I had hoped we would play differently.
“It seemed like Solbakken was on a MotoGP bike and our defenders were on a bicycle. Next time in Rome, Gianluca Mancini and Matias Vina will be ready for him."
