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Roma and Sevilla in the Europa League: The two-month final – Sport

José Mourinho knew where his car was, as one would say in the pot. And he saw the chance to finally usurp the role of the protagonist.

His team, AS Roma, had lost the Europa League final against Sevilla FC on penalties (1:4) and he himself ended his press conference when he surrounded the referee team in the Puskas Arena car park in Budapest Referee Anthony Taylor from England discovered. In a video that quickly circulated, it was easy to hear Mourinho, 60, throwing at Mister Taylor some derivatives of so-called “fourletterwords” – expressions consisting of four letters. No, not “Love”. But “F**k” and “put*”, in German, in a milder form: damned and whore. And so Mourinho had done it again: Hardly anyone spoke of the fact that Sevilla FC had won a trophy for the seventh time in its history, which the Andalusian capital calls “the umbrella stand” because of its shape. But almost only over Mouthe sometimes diabolical coach from Portuguese Setúbal.

The game lasted an incredible 148 minutes without penalties

Immediately after the game he showed what a sportsman he is. No sooner had he received the silver medal than he snatched it off his back. Not only that: he handed it over to a child in the grandstand, who admittedly beamed happily. Then Mourinho left the scene, leaving his team behind and withholding credit for the winner. “I always do it this way,” Mourinho would later say. “I’ll keep the gold ones, I’ll give away the silver ones.”

The game itself, which started promptly at 8.45 p.m., also bore Mourinho’s stamp. It lasted 148 minutes, excluding penalties, and was therefore only over when Wednesday, May and spring were over and Thursday, June and summer had long since arrived. With every whistle from Mister Taylor, the Romans, following the script of their coach, triggered pack formations in order to prolong the game: the stoppage time alone in the second half of the extra time, which was technically limited to 15 minutes, after the Roman lead by Paulo Dybala (35′) and Gianluca Mancini’s equalizer (own goal/55′) ended 1-1, lasted a whopping twelve minutes. And Taylor, on the whole, was still gracious in timing. So what was Mourinho complaining about? A number of minor things, including a possible penalty and being sent off, which were not mandatory. And probably also Taylor’s decision, which gave the game a dramatic climax.

An Andalusian folk wisdom says: “No one loves them like we do” – the Europa League

After the brilliant Moroccan World Cup goalkeeper Bono had saved two of Rome’s penalties, the Englishman allowed the Andalusians’ fourth penalty to be retaken after Rome goalkeeper Rui Patrício moved too early. Seville’s shooter, Argentinian Gonzalo Montiel, converted the second attempt to make it 4-1. It was always remarkable: At the 2022 World Cup final, he was the last to convert his penalty kick in the final shoot-out – and ensured Argentina’s 4-2 victory over France. And just as Lionel Scaloni was thrown into the air by the Argentine world champions, on Wednesday – sorry: Thursday – Sevilla coach José Luis Mendilibar, 62, was also thrown into the Budapest night sky. What a story.

Europa League: FC Sevilla wins the Europa League for the seventh time - and is by far the record winner.

Sevilla FC wins the Europa League for the seventh time – and is by far the record winner.

(Foto: Adam Davy/PA Images/Imago)

Mendilibar has only been at Sevilla FC since March, as the third coach of the season he followed Julen Lopetegui (now Wolverhampton/England) and Jorge Sampaoli (CR Flamengo Rio de Janeiro/Brazil), with whom Sevilla staggered towards the second division. Mendilibar not only saved the aging Sevilla squad from relegation (the side are eleventh in the table going into the last matchday in Spain), but also propelled them into the Europa League final in Budapest with wins against Manchester United and Juventus. And there, in a really tough game that saw Ivan Rakitic’s first-half shot against the post, an Andalusian saying came true: “Nobody loves them like we do.” She? The Europa League!

Mendilibar could sign a new contract in Seville as early as Monday

Mendilibar had signed a day laborer contract in March until the end of the season, which didn’t bother him, as he said before the final: “I’ll just be unemployed again, I already know that.” He is an anti-Mourinho, who stands on the outside line in balloon silk and was actually only assigned to second division and elevator teams in his coaching career, which began in 1994. He maintains a down-to-earth style, which not everyone likes in Seville, who are used to success, but now there is no way around his contract extension: It is to be heard in Seville that he should be offered it on Monday.

“It would be awesome if they didn’t offer it to me,” said Mendilibar, who won a title for the first time. A little gratitude is more than appropriate. Seville not only gained another umbrella stand by winning the final – the team has also qualified for the Champions League.

It is currently unclear whether Mourinho will continue. His squad is not good enough, worse than that of Sevilla, “my players deserve more – and so do I,” said the Portuguese, who is known to never set a stitch without having a thread in his needle. He has been linked with Champions League contenders Paris Saint-Germain for months. Alone: ​​It remains to be seen how amused the European football union Uefa is about Mourinho: His appearance on Taylor’s car should result in an exemplary ban.

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