Jose Mourinho can enjoy another night of glory today, matching the European titles of Alex Ferguson and Giovanni Trapattoni, if AS Roma win the Europa League final (8pm, SIC), taking place in Budapest, Hungary, where he beats an opponent will have Seville. If it happens, it will be the second successive trophy for the Romans, after winning the Conference League last year.
If he lifts the trophy today, the Portuguese coach will reach six cups in European competitions – FC Porto (UEFA Cup and Champions League, respectively in 2003 and 2004), Inter Milan (Champions League 2010), Manchester United (Europa League 2017 ) and AS Roma (2022 Conference League). And equals the records of Alex Ferguson (2 Champions, 2 Cup Winners’ Cups and 2 European Super Cups) and Trapattoni (1 Champions, 1 Cup Winners’ Cup, 3 UEFA Cups and 1 European Super Cup). Ahead only Carlo Ancelotti, with seven (4 champions and 3 European Super Cups).
It should be noted that the Portuguese coach was present and won another previous final, in 1996-97, but still as assistant to Bobby Robson in Barcelona, in the extinct Cup Winners’ Cup, against PSG.
Ahead, the Roman team, with Portuguese international Rui Patrício as goalkeeper, will face Sevilla, record holder of trophies in the second UEFA competition, with six titles won, in 2005/06, 2006/07, 2013/14, 2014/ 15, 2015/16 and 2019/20, the first two still in the UEFA Cup format and the last four already as the Europa League.
This final comes at a time when Mourinho’s future at the Roma club remains in doubt. Despite being on contract until 2024, news has emerged of interest from other emblems, with PSG leading the pack. But at yesterday’s press conference, the coach assured that he had no contact with anyone: “Zero contacts and I have already reported that to my captains. I only think about the final. Ask Mendilibar [treinador do Sevilha]he’s the one who terminates the contract, not me.”
Who is favourite?
Regarding tonight’s game, Special One has no doubts: “We deserve to be in this final. They are from the Champions League, we are not, and we played 14 games until we got here. How do you deal with the busy? Working.” That’s what we did,” he shot, devaluing the opponent’s best record in the league: “History doesn’t play and my colleague thinks differently because he believes history makes him a favourite. Respect, but I repeat that history does not enter the field. We are not angels who have arrived here and when the game begins, we will play to win.”
Jose Mourinho also commented on a question he was asked about AS Roma having a bigger budget than today’s rival. And here, too, he disagreed. “I don’t believe that, otherwise Sevilla players earn little. I have a lot of the B team here, if they earn less than Lamela, En-Nesyri or Montiel, it’s because they are poorly paid,” he said.
It was already at the end of the press conference, and already after he got up from his seat, that Mourinho released a piece of information that was not given to him, about the physical condition of striker Paolo Dybala: “It is enough for 20 or 30 minutes .”
Jose Luis Mendilibar, coach of Sevilla, spoke after Jose Mourinho. And soon he was questioned about the Portuguese’s comments on the question of favoritism. “I think like him, history does not win games, nor tricks. Roma are the strongest opponents and that is why they are in the final. We have no advantages or disadvantages,” the Spanish coach analyzed.
“It’s going to be a complicated game for both teams. It’s my first final, unlike my club and Jose Mourinho. Budgets don’t count for much here, the main thing is to be concentrated and make as few mistakes as possible,” added the coach from the Spanish side, who will try to win the seventh UEFA Cup/League for Sevilla tonight.
Mourinho’s five cups
2002/03 UEFA Cup
FC Porto-Celtic, 3-2 (ap)
“It wasn’t the biggest win, it wasn’t the biggest joy, but in terms of intensity it was my biggest game ever. Since then I’ve played in European finals, two in the Champions League. I’ve won a lot of titles, participated in a lot of incredible games , but in terms of tension, intensity and emotion pushed to the limit, that game against Celtic beat them all.
Champions League 2003/04
FC Porto Monaco, 3-0
“Of course the titles I won with FC Porto are the most important of my career in this context, because they were won with a Portuguese team for Portuguese football. With FC Porto it was a unique case because [ganhámos] a Champions League final with nine Portuguese players. Would you like to see this happen again? Yes, I would.”
Champions League 2009/10
Inter Milan-B. Munich, 2-0
“I think the game was already won before it started. Not just because of the emotional aspect, not just because of the level of confidence, self-esteem, empathy, unity that Inter had, but also because of the way, from a point of view, a strategic point of view, we have prepared for the game.”
Europa League 2016/17
Manchester United-Ajax, 2-0
“There are many poets in football, but poets don’t win that many trophies. We knew better than Ajax where we stood and exploited their weaknesses. The club now has all the trophies in world football. We fought hard for this.” from the beginning. We totally deserved it. the victory.”
Conference competition 2021/22
Roma 1-0 Feyenoord
“It is very difficult to win. It takes a lot of ingredients. We reached the final tired, but we worked and kept a low profile. This group of players is fantastic – this makes me emotional. Playing in a final is not writing history, I told the players about the finals I missed in the past. We won, the players gave everything.”
Source: DN
