Roma manager Jose Mourinho explained his motivation and attitude as he heads into his second consecutive European final with the Giallorossi.
In an interview with UEFA, Mourinho emphasised how history and past success do not make the difference in a final that is yet to be played.
“History doesn’t make you win games. You watch the Real Madrid play in finals and think Real Madrid wins all the finals. You look at Sevilla and say that Sevilla win all the finals. But in reality the club’s history doesn’t win games.”
“Superstition is something I don’t like, so I don’t consider superstition as a factor either. This is a new final. It’s a new story. They have experience because they have played many finals over the years, but we also played one last year. So no problem, I just want to play the game.”
“Could I become the first coach to win this competition with three different teams? I don’t care. We work for the fans. At this point in my career, I think about the happiness we can give to all these people.”
“Getting to this final is something no one would have expected at the start of the season, given the incredible quality of the teams in the Europa League. Barcelona and Arsenal participated in this competition and were eliminated very, very early. For Roma to be in this final means a lot. So let’s try now to give the fans the final joy.”
