As a guest on Sky Sport’s “This or That,” the Special One reflected on his great European challenges: “The Champions League semifinal in 2010 was pure joy.”
José Mourinho‘s career in European competitions is filled with exciting challenges, memorable moments, and a string of successes: his teams have won a total of 2 Champions League titles, 2 Europa League titles, and 1 Conference League title. It’s no surprise that Sky Sport chose to revisit some of his most iconic international challenges while leading Italian clubs on the “This or That” format.
The journey begins with the 2010 Champions League semifinal with Inter, focusing on two particular moments: the whispered words to Guardiola on the sideline and the sprint towards the away fans at the final whistle. Mourinho admited, “With Pep, it was all about ‘mind games,’ tactical provocation, while the dash towards the fans was an act of pure joy.”
In the last two seasons with AS Roma, there were also emotionally charged moments, ranging from incredible happiness to anger. Firstly, he spoke about the path that led the Giallorossi to win the inaugural edition of the Conference League:
“I cried both after the semifinal against Leicester and after the final in Tirana,” recalls Mourinho. “They were historic achievements for Roma.”
And finally, the controversial Europa League final against Sevilla on May 31st last year, marked by highly contested refereeing decisions that earned the Special One a 4-match suspension. Mourinho equates the lost final to his previous victory with Manchester United, then shifts into a more polemic tone, saying, “If I say what I think, they’ll give me a 10-match suspension…
