Jose Mourinho will face off Sevilla with his AS Roma in the Europa League final tonight in Budapest. The winner of this game will automatically qualify for the group stage of next season’s UEFA Champions League, regardless of their league finish, t
The Roma manager has never lost a European final but faces a team that has won all six of their previous Europa League finals.
After winning the Conference League with Roma last season, Mourinho became the first manager to reach a UEFA final with four different clubs and the only one to win all UEFA club trophies.
The Portuguese has won five European trophies: the Uefa Champions League with FC Internazionale and FC Porto, the Europa League once with Manchester United, and the Conference League with Roma. He also won the UEFA Cup Trophy with Porto.
Mourinho will be hoping to win his sixth European title tonight.
Speaking ahead of the match, he said, his team deserve to win the final game.
“We played 14 games to get here; we deserve it. In the last few days, we have worked to be in a position to fight for the title,” he said during the press conference ahead of tonight’s game against Sevilla.
“History does not play”- Mourinho
Mourinho also downplayed Sevilla’s pedigree in the competition, saying that history does not play.
“History does not play, my colleague (Sevilla coach) thinks differently, I have respect for him. He believes history makes Sevilla favourites. I respect that. We are in the final because we deserve it, ” he said.
The former Chelsea FC manager admitted that going into this game, Sevilla players have more experience, and playing Europa League final is normal for them.
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“For them, playing in a Europa League final is a normal thing; for us, it is an extraordinary event. For their fans travelling to a final, it’s like going away in the league; for ours, it will be unforgettable. The Sevilla players have more experience, but we have been playing together for two years,” he explained.
Sevilla have a great tradition in the Europa League, having won six out of six finals, and if Mourinho wins this final, he will become one of the most decorated managers in European football history.
