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Paulo Dybala Confronted Jose Mourinho About Gesture but 'Did Not Insult Him'
November 9, 2018
Juventus attacker Paulo Dybala has said he did not insult Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, after confronting the Portuguese as the Red Devils defeated the Italian champions 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
The Argentina international approached Mourinho at full-time, with the United boss gesturing to the crowd after being targeted by the home supporters.
According to Calciomercato, Dybala commented on his version of events.
Dybala said: "I told him that there was no need for that gesture, which created more tensions. It's ugly, sometimes we also take insults from the crowd, but there was no need, but I did not insult him, nothing that has been spread around."
Mourinho cupped his ear to the Juve supporters after his side unexpectedly stole two goals in the closing minutes to earn a famous win in Turin.
The coach's former association with Inter Milan is well remembered at the Allianz Stadium, and Mourinho said fans verbally attacked him throughout the contest.
Per BT Sport, Mourinho defended his actions at the end of the encounter:
The victory was a huge relief for United, with Mourinho constantly challenged by the press for his underwhelming record this season.
United are only seventh in the Premier League after 11 matches and sit below Bournemouth in the latest standings.
The Red Devils were expected to be beaten by Juve, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack, but Mourinho's tactics empowered his players to chase a result in the second half.
ESPN's Mark Ogden tweeted his thoughts about United, but took a swipe at Mourinho's post-match actions:
Mourinho now faces another huge test as he takes his United team to Manchester City on Sunday.
The Premier League champions are in electric form, and the Red Devils will need to be at their best to avoid a negative scoreline.
United's performances are slowly recovering, but they might not have enough in the tank to keep a clean sheet against the devastating attacking power their near-neighbours possess.