Roma boss has aimed a little dig at Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over his decision to sack the Portuguese coach just days before last season’s Carabao Cup final.
The self-proclaimed Special One was axed by Spurs on April 19 of last year, a mere six days before the club’s trip to Wembley to take on – a match they would go on to lose under caretaker boss Ryan Mason.
Just over a year later, Mourinho is on the precipice of another final – this time in the Europa Conference League – with standing in his way.
Roma drew 1-1 at the King Power Stadium in last week’s first leg and will be looking to get the job done in the Italian capital on Thursday night.
Mourinho is looking forward to the match but, at his pre-game press conference, could not resist a cheeky little swipe at his old employers and their decision to axe him just before the Carabao Cup final.
Asked how hungry he is to win the competition, Mourinho replied: ‘It’s the same every game. I always say that there is only one match that I didn’t win which is the next one. The next one I didn’t win. So I want to win the next one always.
‘If the next one is a semi-final, even more, because of course a semi-final gives you the right to play a final – if you are not sacked before the final!
‘But it gives you the right to play the final, so of course it’s not just the next match, it’s a special match. And of course we want to win.
‘It was a long, long run for us, a different run to Leicester because Leicester’s run was a Europa League run. Our run was Conference since day one and to be honest day one was very, very difficult against Trabzonspor.
‘So 14 matches later we have the chance to play the final and we must do anything that we can to play at the highest level that we can to deserve to be in the final.’
Mourinho also praised Leicester and their manager Brendan Rodgers, saying: ’What Leicester is doing is fantastic. Of course, what they did by winning the Premier League [in 2016] is amazing but after that the way the club grows at every level, arriving to now with one of the best training centres in Europe, the club is amazing.
‘Brendan doesn’t surprise me. With Liverpool, people forget what he did with much, much less resources than what Liverpool has now. He did amazingly. And then the Scottish history [in his time at Celtic], people forget because people don’t focus on the Scottish titles.
‘Then to win the FA Cup with Leicester, even the Community Shield, the stability in the club and the way they played, it’s a perfect feat with Leicester and Brendan. Very, very good. But I hope tomorrow is for us and not for them.’
, .
, and .
