In May 2003, Jose Mourinho stepped onto the big stage of European football for the first time. It happened when he coached Porto in the UEFA Cup final where they beat Celtic 2-3 to win the continent's second most important title. Exactly 20 years later, the Portuguese will try to win his sixth career European title tonight when Roma take on Sevilla in the Europa League final at Puskas Arena in Budapest.
The circles of history connect amazingly for Mourinho, as the victory over Celtic was achieved at Ramon Sanchez Pijuan, his opponent's home stadium tonight, but Sevilla, everyone knows, is the owner of the factory. This will be their seventh Europa League (formerly UEFA Cup) final, having won each of their previous six since 2005, when they beat Middlesbrough.
But not only Sevilla is perfect in this position. On the other side awaits Mourinho, who has never lost a European final. He has 5 of 5, starting with that final in 2003. He won the Champions League the following year when Porto defeated Monaco 0-3, came back to win the Champions League final in 2010 with Inter who beat Bayern Munich 0-2 in the final, added a Europa League win in 2017 with a 0-2 win in the final, this time with Manchester United over Ajax, and a year ago won the Conference League with Roma in their debut season, with a 0-1 win over Feyenoord.
Mourinho at the press conference ahead of the final. What is he planning?, Photo: AP
True, it was only the Conference League, but for Roma fans it was one of the most exciting moments in history - after all, the team's first European title. Mourinho was emotional and couldn't hold back the tears at the waves of love he received from the fans.
Burks on the decline in a week Mourinho will finish his second season at Roma and is rumored not to be staying for the third and final season of his contract, even if the team wins tonight and earns a ticket to the
Champions League. The same rumours are circulating that Paris Saint-Germain are interested in him, and for Mourinho, 60, this is the opportunity to return to the top of world football, just when he already seems to be on the way down.
A decade back, Mourinho is considered one of the world's top two managers, alongside Pep Guardiola. Then, in the summer of 2013, he left Real Madrid and returned to Chelsea, only his second spell at Stamford Bridge was disappointing, as was his two-and-a-half years at Manchester United.
The next stop was Tottenham, who sacked him two days before they were due to play in the League Cup final. For Mourinho it was the biggest humiliation and he never forgave chairman Daniel Levy. "I've stayed on great terms with all the teams I've worked for, except Tottenham," he said this week.
Mourinho with Tammy Abraham. Aiming high, photo: AFP
The main thing is victory
In the summer of 2021, Mourinho signed for Roma - a respectable team, but not on the scale he was used to before. The feeling was that he had lost it, that he was no longer in the top group of coaches. Last Saturday, Roma lost 2-1 to Fiorentina in the penultimate round and lost a chance of qualifying for the Champions League through the league, but for Mourinho that was not the goal at all.
"We can make history if we win a second European title in a row, but qualify for the Champions League, after investing only 7 million euros in procurement players? It will be more than a miracle," Mourinho said, unleashing another characteristic punchline: "It's as if tomorrow Jesus will come to Rome and take a tour of the Vatican."
Sevilla in the concluding training. Ready for Mourinho 'The Boncrist', Photo: AP
While Sevilla reached the final after impressive victories over Manchester United and Juventus, Roma did not really stun on their way to Budapest. After beating Leverkusen 0-1 in the first leg of the semi-final at the Olimpico, they came into the match in Germany with one goal: not to lose. The goal was achieved, but the 0-0 Achieved with 28% possession of the ball and one kick per frame, compared to Leverkusen's 23.
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Is Mourinho the bonkers back? It's not interesting to him, let them talk. The "special" just wants to win trophies. If Roma beat Sevilla tonight – no matter how – trust him to celebrate madly, shed tears, and never apologize.
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