Francesco Totti has insisted that ‘sooner or later, Sevilla are going to lose’ in the Europa League, having won the competition six times from their six previous appearances in the final and the former Giallorossi captain believes that under Jose Mourinho, anything is possible.
Totti cited the Special One’s ‘strong personality’, his familiarity with winning in European finals and his ability to pass his wisdom on to his squad of players as some of the main reasons why Roma should be optimistic heading into the final in Budapest on Wednesday night.
“I suppose Sevilla have more experience in these finals. I think they’ve played in six finals and won all six. So, sooner or later, with a bit of luck, they’re going to lose,” Totti said while speaking in-depth on the UEFA website.
“And with Mourinho in charge, we have this fantastic opportunity. He’s a coach with a lot of experience in these kinds of games, so he will meet the challenge in the best possible way to make the team come out on top.
“With this kind of coach, who has this strong personality, everything is easier. These kinds of coaches are used to winning, so they can pass on this winning mentality to the team – and I think that’s what he’s doing.”
Totti went on to explain that he would have loved to have the opportunity to play under Mourinho himself before hanging up his boots, but ultimately, that partnership wasn’t to be.
“I talk to him quite often. I played against him as a coach, but I would have loved to have him as a coach. Unfortunately, he had other opportunities, and he chose different clubs.”
Finishing his career without winning a European trophy for Roma remains one of Totti’s biggest regrets, however, having had the opportunity to represent his boyhood club for such a long time is still an immense pride.
He said: “The one thing I never managed to win with Roma is a European trophy. Back then, there were stronger, more accomplished sides, and it was hard for us to keep up with them. That said, I’m still happy about my career and what I did – and, most importantly, I did it with the team I have always been in love with, and I still love to this day. That’s my biggest win.”