Stephan El Shaarawy’s First Goal was Worthwhile as Roma Clinches a 1-0 Win Against Monza

It has been a wild week for Stephan El Shaarawy as the Italian international was under gambling allegations with national teammates Sandro Tonali, Nicolo Fagioli and Nicolo Zaniolo. While the accusations did dampen his mood and confidence, El Shaarawy did his best to shoulder his emotions as he scored his first goal this season against 10 men Monza before letting out his pent-up emotions at the final whistle. Unsurprisingly, Jose was also in the tick of the action in a fiery match, as the Portuguese manager was sent off in the dying moments of stoppage time as tensions flared between the two dugouts after El Shaarawy struck.

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Roma Moves to 7th After a Crucial 1-0 Win Against Resilience Monza

Before El Shaarawy struck, Roma must have cursed their luck again as they failed to capitalise on their opportunities against 10-man Monza after Danilo D’Ambrosio’s first-half dismissal. Romelu Lukaku and Sardar Azmoun came close for the host, but they both hit the post as Monza inched closer to a 6 game unbeaten run.

However, it was not meant to be for the visitors as El Shaarawy connected with a beautiful volley to give Roma the precious points and skyrocket them to 7 with 14 points while condemning the visitors to 11 with 12 points. Moreover, the win also marks their third consecutive victory this season as they are now just 3 points off 4th place Fiorentina, with the gatekeepers having a game in hand.

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Stephan El Shaarawy Issues Emotional Response to Recent False Gambling Accusations

As mentioned above, it was an emotion-absorbing week for Stephan El Shaarawy, with Italian entrepreneur Fabrizio Corona accusing him of illegal gambling activities and scoring the winning goal for Roma after the club expressed their support and trust in him. However, the pressure was too much to hold for the Italian international as he let his emotions out in interviews after the final whistle.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia in his post-match interview, El Shaarawy stated: “I have been accused of being involved in the betting scandal by the press. It hurts because it was completely fake. I love this sport. I respect football. I will never do something like that — I feel clean.”

After relieving himself of the burden, El Shaarawy was in a much better mood in his interview with Roma TV. “Today, we showed continuity, which we lacked last year. It is a vital victory, even at the last minute. There are things to improve, but we will take the three points which give us confidence moving forward. We are a team ready and equipped to play many matches this season. We have quality players, and everyone can help and can feel important. The celebration on the pitch contained the love for this sport, which I respect so much. The feelings behind this celebration were all positive.”

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Jose Mourinho Red-Carded for Taunting Gestures in Roma Win

Amidst the win, Jose Mourinho also faced punishment for his action of telling Monza counterpart Raffaele Palladino: “You talk a lot and then you cry.” While it may seem typical of the Portuguese’s usual antics, he felt baffled when the ref showed him the red card. “I do not know why I got the red card. I only made a gesture to the bench, not a single word.”

Furthermore, Jose stated: “It was because last season some talented people lacking in experience had some nasty words about us. Today, the only one making a show on the touchline and trying to pressure the referee was Monza. I am honest. They are a good team and did not deserve to lose today.”

The suspension meant that for a second year in a row, Mourinho will be absent when his team faces Inter Milan. To put into perspective, Mourinho saw red twelve months ago after going ballistic with the match referee against Atalanta. For example, Mourinho was incensed when Nicolo Zaniolo, now at Aston Villa, was not awarded a penalty. He was so angry that he stormed onto the pitch and had to be held back by security as he tried to get to the referee. 

Will Roma continue their winning streak against the leaders Inter? Let us know in the comments here.