- Portuguese spent 17 months in north London
- Enjoyed spells at Porto & Chelsea
- Also worked with Real Madrid, Inter & Man Utd
WHAT HAPPENED? The enigmatic Portuguese tactician spent 17 months in north London between November 2019 and April 2021, with much of that spell seeing games played behind closed doors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Mourinho does not hold many happy memories from his time with Spurs, with the current Roma boss preferring to look back fondly on stints with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
WHAT THEY SAID: Mourinho, who is readying his current employers for a meeting with Sevilla in the 2023 Europa League final, has told reporters: “I hope my words are not misinterpreted, but the only club in my career I don’t still have a deep feeling for is Tottenham. Perhaps because during the period that I coached the club the stadium was empty due to Covid and because President [Daniel] Levy did not give me much. In all other clubs, there has always been a solid bond because people are not stupid. It’s not about winning or losing. Fans understand that I fight for them every day. In my case, I am Romanista, Madridista and Interista and it’s a mutual thing. I will forever be tied to Roma and the other clubs I’ve coached.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: There has been plenty of speculation to suggest that Mourinho could soon be leaving Stadio Olimpico, as he is linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but the mercurial 60-year-old is reluctant to be drawn on his future. He said when asked about the rumours he is generating: “I don’t like to speak before games, I like to play. Unfortunately, we can’t play a final every week. I am not thinking about myself. We want to play and we’ll be there on Wednesday.”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Roma have two more Serie A fixtures left to take in this season, as they sit sixth in the table, with their continental clash against Sevilla at the Puskas Arena being sandwiched between those two domestic matches on May 31.
