Roma's 'sense of family' key to reaching the Europa Conference League final - Jose Mourinho - Riootech
Jose Mourinho says the "family feeling" between his Roma club and their fans is the main reason they have reached the Europa League final.
The fans did their job ensuring a breathless 90 minutes, while Mourinho helped his Roma to a 2-1 aggregate victory over their Premier League rivals.
The outspoken Portugal coach told Roma supporters ahead of their 1-0 semi-final second-leg win over Leicester that they should not come to the stadium just to "watch" the game, but "play".
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"It's a family victory," Mourinho said, "not just for the people on the pitch and the bench, but for the people on the pitch. It's our greatest achievement, empathy and with the fans Creates a sense of family.”
Roma will now face Eredivisie club Feyenoord in the tiebreaker in Albania on May 25, with Mourinho becoming the first manager to lead four different teams to a European final, having previously led Porto twice, Inter Milan, and Manchester United reached the final.
Overall, this is the fifth time the former Chelsea manager has appeared in a European final in the past 20 years, after the previous four: the 2003 UEFA Cup final and the 2004 Champions League final with Porto, and 2010 The Champions League final with Inter Milan and the 2017 Europa League final. Final with Manchester United.
"I'm lucky to be in a bigger and more prestigious final than this one," Mourinho said. "But the way we create a family atmosphere here makes me feel special.
"Over the years, I've become less self-centered and more of a father," Mourinho said. "I've reached the final at every club I've coached. It's good."
If Roma beat Feyenoord in the final, Mourinho will become the third manager after Trapattoni and Udolatek to win three different UEFA competitions, all of whom have won the European Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup.
In a typical Mourinho game, Roma took the lead from Abraham's header in the first half before narrowly saving their advantage when they were wrapped and defended by Roma in the second half. The strategy worked.
"I think we did a great job," coach Jose Mourinho said. "
Others may see it differently, but when your goalkeeper makes two saves in 120 minutes against such an attacking Premier League team, it means we've done something good."
While Roma is fifth in Serie A and miss out on a place in the Champions League, the first edition of the third tier of the league has given Mourinho a successful first season with Roma.
It's a big reversal from just over a year ago when Mourinho's career plummeted after dressing room apathy and growing disillusionment with his tactics cost him a loss at Toth The work of Namm Hotspur.
Mourinho, 59, has shown he is willing to wait while trying to make Roma contenders.
Abraham, the 24-year-old striker whom Mourinho persuaded Roma to spend 40 million euros on in August, has been crucial throughout the season. His nine league goals put him third among English players in a European season, behind Alan Shearer (11 in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup) and Stan Bowles (1976-77) 11 goals in the UEFA Cup season).
"We have a coach who knows how to win. But it's a growing process," Roma defender Gianluca Mancini said. "It's not because you put Mourinho on the bench and you win right away."
It was Roma's first European final since they were beaten by domestic rivals Inter Milan in the 1991 UEFA Cup. Roma also lost their only other continental final on penalties at home in Euro 1984.
But this night was about Mourinho, who cried at the final whistle.
"In terms of the social dimension of the club, this is a huge club without a trophy room," Mourinho said. "It's not a trophy, it's just a final, but it means a lot to them. My feelings are for them. ."
This story uses information from The Associated Press.
