José Mourinho went to congratulate José Luis Mendilibar before Montiel scored the penalty that gave Sevilla the Europa League in Budapest. The Sevilla coach did not know where to look, although perhaps nothing that happened in the Puskas Arena could surprise him. The Portuguese coach broke his routine by losing his first European final, but he did fulfill everything that was expected of his character.
Beyond the protests, continuous throughout the night, even hilarious, Mourinho left the grotesque for last. He went around the field applauding, went to the back where the Sevilla fans were celebrating the title, hugged Mendilibar, and without the trophy still being on the lectern, without anyone having called him on stage, without his players knowing what was he going to do, he went to pick up the medal. Of course, before going into the locker room he threw it at a boy who was behind the bench.
“I always do it. I'll take the gold ones, I don't want the silver ones,” the Roma coach apologized in his own way.
The impeccable history of José Mourinho in the great European competitions finally ended. The Portuguese, who seemed calmer since his gray hair, wanted to continue showing that his time on the bench had not yet passed. Neither was the one from Roma, who had not come close to a title since 2008 and last season won the Europa League.
And that the luso has fit in the giallorrossa stands better than expected. If the club hadn't lifted a trophy for 14 years, he hadn't added any to his record for four years. Tottenham fired him weeks before playing in the 2021 League Cup final and it seemed that Mou no longer had any elite benches or teams capable of paying for his cache. But since two Champions League, two Europa League, three Premier League, two Scudettos and one League are very weighty arguments, he barely spent a few days unemployed because the new American owner of Roma challenged him to rebuild it.
Dan Friedkin, owner of Toyota dealerships in the US and owner of a film production company that has recruited Clint Eastwood or Ridley Scott, was looking for his coup de effect. His project was so ambitious that he signed The Special One. The result could not have been more immediate: at the end of the first season, they were proclaimed champions of the Conference League, the third and recently launched UEFA competition.. He was no longer able to lift the Europa League this Wednesday in Budapest, a more recognizable title that would increase the pride of the Tifosi and open a door that has been closed for too long: the Champions League.
Mourinho's future, then, is unknown. He has one more season on his contract and the team is in Europa League positions in Serie A. However, the rush of an exit accompanies him. In fact, he spoke about this with his captains, Pellegrini and Mancini, before the duel against Sevilla. “But it is something that must remain between us,” warned the coach who is linked to PSG. The Portuguese opts for secrecy, even comparing his situation with that of Mendilibar, perhaps hoping that a new title would help the American owner inject more resources into the project and entrust it to him. Now, all are doubts.