Jose Mourinho: ‘A serial winner who has brought Roma to life’

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Jose Mourinho has had better achievements in his long managerial career, but the ‘Special One’ was moved to tears after delivering Roma their first major European Cup.

Some have mocked Europe’s third-tier club competition, but for Mourinho, the victory over Feyenoord was just as important as his two Champions League titles with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.

After making it five wins in five European finals, Mourinho became the first manager to win all three major European competitions.

On BT Sport, former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves remarked, “Football is about winning, and Mourinho wins.”

This was Mourinho’s 26th title as a manager, 19 years after guiding Porto to a Uefa Cup victory in 2003.

Last May, he was named Roma manager and given the challenge of rebuilding the team after a poor seventh-place finish in Serie A in 2020–21.

“Mourinho stated that [winning the trophy] was not part of the plan.” It was the beginning of the project, and the plan was to construct this team, “Joe Cole, who played for Chelsea under Mourinho, told BT Sport.

Roma’s journey to the final was not without its setbacks, with the Portuguese facing criticism following a humiliating 6-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt in the group stage in October.

Instilled a feeling of solidarity in Roma, which has contributed to the club’s first trophy in 14 years.

Cole claims that the hard work has only just begun.

This was Mourinho’s first title since Manchester United won the Europa League in 2017.

Chris Smalling was a member of the United team that beat Ajax in Stockholm five years ago, and the 32-year-old defender was named man-of-the-match to help Roma win their first title since 2008.

Tammy Abraham, a teammate and England forward, gatecrashed Smalling’s post-match interview on the pitch with BT Sport.

Abraham has made such an impact since joining Roma for £34 million last August that he ends his first season in Italy with 27 goals, a European trophy, and a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.