AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has disclosed the inspiration behind buying Ghana teen striker Felix Afena-Gyan a pair of Balenciaga sneakers.
And that forced him to strike deal with the youngster by promising to get him his adored sneakers if he scores in the Serie A.
Just a week after making his debut against Cagliari in November last year, the 19-yea-old hogged the headlines with his brace against Genoa.
Mourinho honoured his promise by getting him the pair of sneakers, but revealed that the actions of his teammates propelled him to get Afena-Gyan the shoes.
“He was there, he didn’t have a contract and he was coming all the time with fake trainers and all the guys there were having fun with him,” Mourinho told BT Sports.
“The moment he came here and the moment he scored a winning goal, I had to say: Felix, it’s time for the guys to stop bullying you, so let’s buy a proper pair of shoes,” he added.
“Now he signs a contract, he goes to Ghana national team and he has fun with the other guys because the other guys are not going to the World Cup, but he is. So in this moment things are changing.”
Controversial Manager Jose Mourinho says Ghana youngster Felix Afena-Gyan used to wear fake trainers before he signed a contract with AS Roma. pic.twitter.com/Pe38D3CW04
— SPORTSworldGhana.com (@sportworldghana) May 25, 2022
The Ghanaian international and his teammates are currently in Tirana, Albania ahead of the final of the Europa Conference League against Feyenoord.