Portuguese coach José Mourinho once again ascended to football heaven by winning the Conference League final in Tirana against Feyenoord. The Italian team won the first European title in its history after a difficult season. The match ended 1-0 thanks to a goal from Nicoló Zaniolo.
And among the footballers, a protagonist, because José Mourinho did it again. He achieved an incredible result with a team in search of its first triumph at the continental level. Although the Conference League represents only the third European competition in order of importance, the Lusitanian coach managed to win an unexpected trophy for a club that has never received recognition in this category. The best result achieved by Roma was a Champions League final that they lost on penalties against Liverpool, in 1984.
Mourinho thus becomes the only coach in history to have won the three main competitions on the European scene. Two Champions League (Porto and Inter Milan), two Europa League (Porto and Manchester United) and now the Conference League with Roma.
The path of the Italian team in the European competition was complicated. The toughest days came after the 6-1 loss against underdogs Bodo Glimt in the group stage. Then fate decided to give Mourinho’s men a rematch, giving away a new confrontation between the two teams in the quarterfinals. This time Roma, after losing the first leg 2-1, thrashed the Norwegians in the second leg, reaching the semi-finals, where they defeated the English Leicester to reach the final against the Dutch.
On the night of Tirana, Roma took to the field like the typical Mourinho team, with the hunger of someone who wants to eat their rival to make it clear that there are no other options than victory. The few chances were enough to finish off Feyenoord. Mourinho’s tears from the semi-finals demonstrated, once again, his commitment to his players and his fans, who were seen again after the final whistle on Wednesday.
The only European title the Portuguese is missing is the European Super Cup, a competition he lost twice (Porto and Manchester United). If anyone could have succeeded with a team without any European history like that of the Italian team, it could only have been the Portuguese. His charisma and his methods, his relationship with the dressing room and with the press always distinguished him from other coaches. He gave identity to a subdued team, and despite a fifth place finish in the national league, he managed to rouse the spirits of an entire city to win the first edition of the Conference League.
The Special One was always one of those who transformed the impossible into the possible. He did it with Porto in 2004 winning a Champions League that he will never forget. It was also repeated at Inter in 2010, where he reached levels that elevated him to legendary status with the conquest of the treble in the era of the ‘best’ Guardiola ever at Barcelona and which ended up taking him to Real Madrid.
Despite being remembered for his atypical character, for his unlikely press conferences or for his attitudes in the locker room, the Portuguese will be remembered for the titles, for what he obtained on the field. Mou is like that, either you love it or you hate it, although it usually happens that the first option is only chosen by those who enjoy its benefits.
