Paulo Dybala on Mourinho, El Ayanoui, and Europa League Heartbreak
Paulo Dybala is on the verge of renewing his contract with Roma, but his heart is still split between gratitude and a wound that has not fully healed.
In a long-form chat with YouTuber Davoo, relayed by Corriere dello Sport, the Argentine opened up about the man who brought him to the capital, the teammate shining on the biggest stage, and the European final that still stings.
“Mourinho is a genius”
Dybala did not hesitate when the conversation turned to José Mourinho, the coach who convinced him to swap Turin for Rome and who reshaped the club’s recent history.
“Mourinho is a genius and a great person. He always spoke to us with respect, he took care of us, he loved us, and in Rome the people fell in love with him for what he gave. Thanks to him, I arrived in the capital.”
That last line says everything. Dybala’s move to Roma was not just a market opportunity; it was a Mourinho operation, built on trust, charisma and the promise of a central role in a city that lives off its football. The bond between the forward and his former coach still runs deep, even as the club prepares for its next chapter and Dybala edges closer to a new deal.
Keeping an eye on El Ayanoui
The interview then shifted from the past to the present, from the architect of his transfer to a teammate making waves on the international stage.
El Ayanoui, Dybala’s colleague at Roma, has become a key figure for Morocco at the World Cup. Dybala made it clear he is watching closely.
“He's having a great World Cup, I'm following him. And at Roma, besides saying he's a strong player, he's also a good guy.”
No embellishment, just the kind of straightforward respect that carries weight in a dressing room. Strong on the pitch, solid off it. For a Roma squad in transition, those profiles matter.
The Sevilla scar that won’t fade
Then came the painful part. The Europa League final against Sevilla. The night that promised glory and delivered frustration, with referee Anthony Taylor at the center of the storm.
Dybala did not hide his anger at how that match unfolded.
“It's true, the handball was absurd, but that wasn't the only thing that happened during the match. There were several moments when the referee called strange things: he didn't issue any cards, he was very lenient with some Sevilla players. And then that handball would have rewritten the final result if he had awarded the penalty. It really hurt me to lose that final.”
The words are measured, but the resentment is clear. Not just about one incident, but about a pattern across 90 minutes and beyond. A missed penalty that might have changed everything. A referee performance that, in Dybala’s eyes, tilted the balance. A trophy that slipped away.
For a player of his status, European nights define legacies. That one still burns.
Now, with a renewal on the horizon and a new season taking shape, Dybala stands at a familiar crossroads: the loyalty to a city that has embraced him, the shadow of a final that still aches, and the question that will follow him into the next campaign — can Roma turn that pain into the trophy that has so far eluded them?
