Boniface Revisits His Quip to Mourinho During That Arctic Roma Defeat

Victor Boniface has revealed a light-hearted online exchange with José Mourinho, following Roma’s humbling 6–1 loss to Bodø/Glimt one of the heaviest defeats in the Portuguese coach’s career.

Boniface reflected on his time at the Norwegian club, describing the extreme cold in the Arctic city. He recalled, “From the airport to the stadium is like a three-minute drive, from our stadium to my house is a two-minute walk, and it’s surrounded by sea. It is freezing.

”He admitted he had assumed the biting conditions were a personal challenge until matchday came. Mourinho reportedly filmed the setting before the game, captioning it ‘This is the situation, we’re about to play, very cold.’ Boniface responded with a cheeky comment: “You never see anything.”

He shared vivid details of the matchday routine too  from sitting on snow boots to applying body oil for warmth — underlining just how harsh the environment could be. Notably, Boniface was unable to feature in that Roma fixture as he was recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

Editorial

We find Boniface’s story both amusing and insightful, capturing the quirky intersections between elite football and environments few players face. His jibe at Mourinho reveals a personality unafraid of friendly banter, even with high-profile managers. That warmth  or lack of it  also speaks to the conditions players endure, especially in remote venues.

We sense there is something authentic about these moments  they humanise stars often seen as distant. That pitch, the biting cold, the snow benches, are football truths seldom told. Boniface’s recollections breathe life into the grind behind the glamour.

Football is not just about tactics or talent; it is about the adaptations players make  enduring harsh elements, embracing eccentric routines, sharing laughs amid adversity. If anything, this anecdote shows that beyond the trophies and headlines, identity and humour thrive  even when the thermometer dips.

Did You Know?

1. Bodø/Glimt are based in northern Norway, above the Arctic Circle  making them the northernmost top-tier football club in Europe.
2. José Mourinho’s previous worst loss came in 2010 when Real Madrid suffered a 5–0 defeat to Barcelona in El Clásico.
3. Snow boots and body oil, as described by Boniface, are not official kit but practical makeshift solutions widely used by teams in freezing regions.
4. Despite the severity of that loss, Roma’s 6–1 defeat remains a rare anomaly European giants are seldom dismantled like that by underdogs.
5. Boniface had suffered a cruciate ligament injury earlier in his career, sidelining him for significant periods before his rise in European football.