Rodrigo Mora explains FC Porto exit and reveals talk with Mourinho | OneFootball

Rodrigo Mora, a former FC Porto academy player now at AS Roma, explained the reasons that led him to embrace his first experience abroad in an interview with Sky Sports Italy. The young playmaker spoke about the ambition he found in Rome, his conversation with José Mourinho, and his desire to win titles, assuring: “It was an important step in my life.”

On Saturday morning, Rodrigo Mora opened up about his first month in the Italian capital, where he has already made five appearances, two of them as a starter, and scored one goal for the giallorossi. In the interview, the Portuguese youngster painted a picture of quick adaptation, daily demands, and an ambition that goes beyond individual impact.

Asked about the decision to swap FC Porto for AS Roma, Rodrigo Mora pointed to the club’s historical weight and its footballing ideas as decisive factors. The presence in the Champions League also played into what he considers the right choice.

“I think AS Roma are a very important club, with a history and a tradition that you can feel as soon as you arrive. The way they play convinced me to make this choice, a style of football with great vision and clear ideas, and then the Champions League,” he said. “It was an important step in my life and I’m convinced I took it at the right time.”

More than a simple change of shirt, the move to Rome comes across, in the playmaker’s own words, as a carefully considered decision for a decisive stage of his journey. His excitement for the European challenge goes hand in hand with confidence in the timing of the move.

Before making the final decision, Rodrigo Mora spoke with José Mourinho, the coach who previously managed the team from the Italian capital. The conversation was brief, but it left a strong impression on the young Portuguese player.

“[José Mourinho?] We spoke a little when I arrived. He told me how much he likes this club, Rome, and how special the relationship with the city is. It wasn’t a long conversation, but he’s a great coach and a great person,” he revealed. “I’m very grateful for the words he had for me. He made me feel welcome.”

The contact with Mourinho reinforced the special dimension Rodrigo Mora attributes to the bond between Roma and the city. In that case, the welcome also served to confirm that he was arriving in a setting full of identity.

Inside the dressing room, the youngster highlighted Dybala’s role in helping him settle in. Rodrigo Mora did not separate the Argentine’s talent from the way he welcomed him from day one.

“Dybala is a player who needs no words: you just have to watch him to understand. On the pitch, every time he touches the ball, you can expect something that few can do: that pass others don’t even see, that move that changes the game,” he stressed. “Off the pitch, he welcomed me very well from day one; he’s a very humble and helpful person. I’m truly grateful for the way he helped me adapt.”

The praise reveals unreserved admiration for a teammate capable of making a difference on the pitch and making life easier for someone starting a new chapter. For Rodrigo Mora, adaptation is as much about the grass as it is about the support he has found off it.

Daily work, however, is not just about being welcomed. Rodrigo Mora described Gian Piero Gasperini as a demanding coach, with a direct impact on the team’s development and on refining his attacking movements.

“He’s very demanding and that’s good for the team and the players. He always pushes you to give more and not settle,” he explained. “He’s helping me a lot, especially in the attacking side of the game and in the movements I like to make. Every day I learn something new working with him.”

In the Portuguese player’s view, that demanding nature works as a driving force rather than an obstacle. It is in that environment that he is trying to grow, with special attention to the details that can give greater expression to his attacking game.

His first goal for AS Roma was naturally among the most memorable moments of this early stage of his journey. Rodrigo Mora admitted the emotion of scoring for the Italian club for the first time.

“It was a very emotional moment. I like scoring and getting my first goal for Roma was important.”

But the playmaker refused to set personal goal targets, placing the team’s performance above any individual tally. His desire is to help wherever needed and turn that contribution into trophies.

“Honestly, I don’t think about the number of goals I can score, but above all about helping the team with goals, assists, or whatever is needed. That is the fundamental thing. I want to win titles,” he summed up. “That is the most important objective I have, what motivates me every morning when I arrive at training. I want to win them with Roma, in this city, with these fans, and I want to do it as a leading figure, making my contribution on the pitch.”

The message ends on a note of clear ambition: Rodrigo Mora wants to establish himself, but always tied to the pursuit of collective success. In Rome, the first goal has already arrived; the real target, however, lies much further ahead.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.