Ahead of Roma‘s Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday night, Jose Mourinho has insisted that only the best and biggest clubs are usually capable of going all the way in consecutive European competitions.
The Special One sat down for a brief interview with Sky Sport Italia on Monday afternoon, two days before the Giallorossi take to the field in Budapest with the intention of becoming the first team to deny six-time Europa League champions Sevilla in the final.
Mourinho, who himself has never been beaten in any of his five European finals to date, also claimed that he is no longer concerned with winning titles, but is instead more focussed on bringing happiness to the Roma supporters.
“We work hard every day to build the history of Roma, only big clubs with great histories are usually capable of reaching two consecutive European finals,” Mourinho said on Monday afternoon.
“I don’t think much about what I’ve won in my career. The past is the past and history cannot be changed. I always look to the future, perhaps this is the secret of my philosophy.
“I’ve been in football for a long time, this final is a new final. At this point, I no longer think about what I could win, but about the happiness I could bring to the Roma fans. It is a city that thrives on football. Roma is about the sense of belonging, it is being part of something.”
Sky also asked Mourinho about his long-term future as a coach, but aged 60, Mourinho is adamant that he still has plenty of years left in the game before calling it a day on a marvellous career.
He said: “I’m not ready to close this chapter at all. I’ve been in football for many years, people think I’m older than I am. Maybe they see my white hair and think I’m old, but I’m not old enough to think about calling it a day. You will still see me for many years to come.”