Beaten by Sevilla (1-1 ap, 1-4 tab), Wednesday evening, in the Europa League final, the AS Roma coach saw his incredible invincibility (5 European finals, 5 wins) come to an abrupt end . He went through a whole range of emotions during a stunning evening. Just moments after the medals were handed over for the losers, the Roma coach first removed his medal from his neck and headed to the stands to hand the charm to a young AS Roma fan. Provoking the surprise of the public but above all the joy of the “bambino”. Then “The Special One” came out of the stadium, the arena like a Roman emperor.
If he did not return to this “gift” at a press conference, Mourinho was more talkative about his future. The one who remained on 5 finals won in European cups (two Champions Leagues with Porto (2004) then Inter Milan (2010), two Europa Leagues on the bench of Porto (2003) and Manchester United (2017) and the Europa League Conference won last year with Rome) assured that he was ready to stay on the Rome bench… but not under any conditions.
“I want to stay but my players deserve more, I deserve more. I don’t want to fight anymore for this. I’m tired of being a coach, a communicator, the club’s spokesperson, “he said before adding that he wanted” to stay, but in better conditions to be able to give the best of myself “.
“Having refereeing like that in a European final is really hard”
At 60, Mourinho remains an emblematic, renowned and in-demand coach. His name circulates through Europe. “That’s not the subject tonight… What matters is the team,” continued the person concerned. “Next season we will not play the Champions League, it may be better, it is paradoxical, but we are not ready for the Champions League. We still have to qualify for a European competition, like the Europa League. Roma advanced, before the final day on Sunday, to sixth place in Serie A, with one point less than Atalanta (5th) and one more than Juventus (7th).
The “Mou” assured to have “never been so proud as tonight”. “I said before the final that it would be the cut or we would be dead. Well, we’re dead now, physically, mentally too, it was a tough match, high level, very competitive and very intense. You can lose a match, but never your professionalism. I’ve won five finals and lost this one, but I’ve never been more proud than tonight. The guys gave their all,” he explained… before pointing out the “unfair” refereeing of the game.
“It was a very hard match, very high intensity of competitiveness, where the pressure is felt against a team that has more solutions than us, but I have to defend my boys and have refereeing like that in a European final, it’s really difficult. “He criticizes him in particular for not having awarded a second yellow card to Lamela and for not having signaled a penalty for his team following a handball error by Fernando.
“We hope that (Athony) Taylor, who is a great referee, will only do the Champions League and that he will do bullshit like today only in the Champions League and not in the Europa League, because we, in the League Europa, we are more humble. »
At the end of the evening, in the bowels of the Puskas Arena in Budapest, José Mourinho continued his show against Taylor. On the videos that have since made the happiness of social networks, we hear Mourinho say “It’s a fucking disgrace” (“it’s a fucking shame” in French in the text).
