Bola.net – Jose Mourinho stole attention again, not only through Benfica’s victory over Napoli, but also through his humorous actions in the press conference room.
The coach nicknamed The Special One appeared carrying a mysterious bag after his team won 2-0 in the Champions League match, Thursday (11/12/2025) early morning WIB.
Benfica secured the three points thanks to goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro, but the most laugh-out-loud moment happened after the match. A journalist was curious to see Mourinho carrying a small bag.
“I see you’re carrying a bag. Is that a gift for one of the journalists?” said someone in the room.
With his trademark smile, Mourinho then revealed the secret contents of the bag, and his answer immediately made the room excited. “This is McTominay’s uniform. I played it, I shifted Paul Pogba for him. At least he should give me his shirt,” said Mou, laughing.
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McTominay: From United youth player to Napoli star
Napoli midfielder, Scott McTominay when appearing against Benfica in the Champions League, 11 December 2025. (c) AP Photo/Armando Franca
Scott McTominay, who is now 29 years old, has a long history with Mourinho. The two worked together for almost two seasons at Manchester United. The Lancaster-born player worked his way through the MU academy from the age of five, before finally making his debut in the first team in May 2017.
Under Mourinho, McTominay began to get regular playing minutes throughout the second half of the 2017/18 season. He competed with top midfielders such as Paul Pogba, Michael Carrick and Juan Mata, but actually managed to steal Mourinho’s heart thanks to his consistency.
Even though Mourinho was kicked out at the end of 2018, McTominay continued to develop, making more than 250 appearances for the Red Devils. His career stalled, before recovering after moving to Napoli in the 2024 summer transfer market.
The decision proved correct. McTominay appeared dominant in midfield, helping Napoli reclaim the Scudetto, while also reaching 18th position in the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking list.
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Mourinho Also Played a Role in McTominay’s International Career
Benfica coach, Jose Mourinho shakes hands with Napoli coach, Antonio Conte in the 2025-2026 Champions League match. (c) AP Photo/Armando Franca
Not only at club level, Mourinho also apparently played a big role in McTominay’s journey on the international stage. At that time, McTominay could still choose between defending England or Scotland, his father’s home country.
According to a number of reports, Mourinho encouraged the then Scotland coach, Alex McLeish, to immediately meet McTominay after seeing that England were in no rush to call up the player. Mou even facilitated a meeting between the two in Manchester.
That decision changed McTominay’s career. He has officially worn the Scottish national team uniform since 2018 and is now one of the most important players in the Tartan Army squad.
The peak moment? Of course, when he scored a spectacular overhead goal that sealed Scotland’s ticket to the 2026 World Cup, a highlight that further solidified his status as a pillar of the country.
Sumber: The Sun
