Nainggolan unsurprised by Mourinho; backs De Rossi Roma return

Former Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan wasn't surprised by the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

Nainggolan also supports the appointment of Daniele de Rossi as his replacement.

He posted to social media: "It hurts me to see Roma in this position, I went to the stadium three times this year and I saw a team that didn't have a shot on goal.

"The players are always primarily responsible, except that in the world of football the coach is always cut first. I am convinced that Daniele will surprise: I have had him and I know his ideas. The team is behind Mourinho and they are there, because he made them win a Conference, which for me is not a trophy that counts given that it didn't even exist three years ago, but it is a trophy.

"When I was in Ferrara and they sacked him (De Rossi) I saw all the players crying for him, because the importance that Daniele gave to each of us was incredible. You could see he wanted to play in a certain way, but he didn't have the right players. This was the reason why he ended up with SPAL, because everyone saw how he wanted to play, but if you don't have the right human material it becomes difficult."