Roma manager Jose Mourinho claims fans think he is Harry Potter after "raising expectations" since taking over.
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Mourinho says fans think he is 'Harry Potter'Sets high expectations for the club this seasonFans believe miracles are possible with himGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
His remarks were made following Roma's 1-0 loss to rivals Lazio on Wednesday, which sent them out of the Coppa Italia in the quarterfinal. Because of his stellar history with teams like Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Porto, Mourinho stated he thinks supporters want to expect wizard-like miracles from him.
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"The Roma fans are the most incredible I have seen. Their coach is Jose 'Harry Potter' Mourinho and he raises expectations," Mourinho said [via ESPN]. "I don't know how many derbies I've played, 200, 150, they are always special matches. I've won, I've drawn, I've lost, always with a different experience.
"I have always understood that for a Chelsea fan, a game against Manchester City is not the same as a game against Arsenal. That for Inter, a game against Roma is not the same as a game against Juventus. I understand what a derby means. The derby we played was an important derby."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Roma have qualified for the Europa League knockout rounds and are four points behind Fiorentina in fourth position in the competition for a ticket to the Champions League next season. Last season, the Romans made a darting run into the final of the Europa League, however, they fell to Europa League heavyweights Sevilla.
WHAT NEXT FOR ROMA?
Mourinho will lead his team on Sunday against rivals AC Milan as they look to break into the Champions League spots for the first time this season. The match is set for 7:45 pm GMT at the historic San Siro.