old paradox of an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force may finally be answered on Wednesday night in Budapest, Hungary. Jose Mourinho, unbeaten in five European finals, leads AS Roma into the Europa League final against Sevilla, a six-time winner of Europe’s second continental club competition.
Nearly 20 years have passed since Mourinho’s first European triumph as a manager with Porto. Now, the evergreen coach faces one of his most formidable challenges yet. Sevilla’s ‘King of the Europa League’ moniker is well-earned, boasting a record six victories from six finals, including four wins in just six years.
In the build-up to the quarterfinal against Manchester United, Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitić and club president José Castro described the Europa League as “our competition.” However, Mourinho remains unfazed. “History doesn’t win matches at all,” the 60-year-old told UEFA. “Superstition is something that I don’t like, so I don’t look at superstition even as a factor.”
Mourinho’s reputation endured a rough patch during his tenures at Manchester United and Tottenham, but his arrival in Rome has revitalized him. While his pragmatic style may have fallen out of favor among football fans and journalists, its effectiveness remains undiminished.
In the Europa League semifinal second leg against Bayer Leverkusen, Roma had just 29% possession and one shot on target, successfully defending its 1-0 first-leg lead. Mourinho’s methods prove relevant even after more than two decades in management.
“I always look forward,” Mourinho said. “Maybe, that’s my secret or my philosophy of being in football for so many years, so this final for me is a new final.”
Rome’s New Emperor
After winning last year’s Europa Conference League final with Roma, Mourinho has now guided the team to half of the four European finals in its history. He is adored in the Italian capital, where fans regularly sing songs of praise and murals depict him as Rome’s emperor holding the Conference League trophy.
However, there is fear that Mourinho may leave. Roma has seen little investment this season, and there is no guarantee next season will be different, even if they win on Wednesday and qualify for the Champions League.
Mourinho remains focused on the present. “We work for [the fans],” he said. “To be in this final is something that nobody would have expected at the beginning of the season when you see the incredible quality of the teams in the Europa League.”
Should Mourinho lead Roma to victory on Wednesday, he will become the first manager to win the Europa League with three different teams. “I really don’t care,” he said of the potential record. “For Roma to be in this final, it means a lot. So let’s try to give [the fans] the ultimate happiness.”
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