“This was not work tonight, this was history. We had to write history. We wrote it.”
Those are the words of Jose Mourinho after AS Roma’s manager led them to their first continental trophy with a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa Conference League Final on Wednesday.
Mourinho knows finals, and he’s now five-for-five between Porto, Inter Milan, Manchester United, and Roma after he added the UECL crown to his two Europa League and two Champions League titles.
The ex-Chelsea and Tottenham boss was moved to tears after the win and then again during his first post-match interview, in which the 59-year-old said he would certainly be back for a second season with the club.
And why not? He joined Juventus legend Giovanni Trappatoni as the only managers to win five major European trophies.
The Special One feels special pride at delivering for Roma
Mourinho said he’s feeling at home, as he has at almost every stop since he first stunned the world by leading Porto to the European Cup.
“Of course I feel like a Romanista, but that might be my way of working,” Mourinho said. “I am a Porto fan, an Inter fan, a Chelsea fan, I am crazy about Real Madrid, I am now a Roma fan, I belong to all those clubs because we had these moments together. … Tonight, with all due respect for all the clubs I worked for before, I am 100 per cent Romanista, because these fans are truly incredible.”
He says he’s grateful to add a crown for another big, historic club like Roma because it was a first for them.
“The great thing about my career is that, aside from the Europa League with Manchester United, doing it with Porto, Inter and Roma is very, very, very special,” Mourinho said. “It’s one thing to win when everyone expects it, when you made the investments to win, but it’s quite another to win when something remains immortal, that feels truly special.
“I think of myself, of course, but above all the Roma fans who can celebrate tonight, enjoy themselves and remember this night forever.”
