Conference League Final: 'The Special One is an old story' - Roma boss Jose Mourinho
Roma takes on Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa Conference League final. Meanwhile, Roma boss Jose Mourinho has brushed aside reference to his 'Special One' tag from Manchester United.
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AS Roma's head coach Jose Mourinho is on the cusp of history. On Wednesday, his side takes on Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) 2021-22 final at the Air Albania Stadium in Albania. If the Capitoline wins the title, it would be its first European recognition in over 40 years. Also, the Portuguese manager would become the first-ever to win all the three major UEFA club competitions to date. He is often called the 'Special One', especially since he took over the reins with record 20-time former English champion Manchester United in 2016. However, Mourinho is no longer moved by the 'Special One' reference and has dubbed it an old story.
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Speaking ahead of the UECL final, Mourinho mentioned, "When you have more maturity and stability, you think much more about the people and less about yourself. I can do what every coach can do and try to help the team. I don't believe in magical moments. It is not the moment of one individual. It is the team, the players, and the staff. Does each new achievement mean more than the previous one? It does. But, there is nothing special to be done. Just be us."
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Speaking on what winning the UECL would mean for Roma, Mourinho cited, "The Conference League is our Champions League. That's the level we're at, the competition we're playing in. The club hasn't reached an occasion like this for a long time. But we haven't won anything yet, and we want to do that."
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On being asked about when he planned on calling it a day, Mourinho recalled, "It was Manchester United vs Real Madrid. Before the game, Sir Alex Ferguson invited me to his office. I asked him, ''What is it like, boss? Does it change? Does it change over the years?'. He said, 'Forget about it. Nothing changes. It is the same up until the very last day'."
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"That is why I keep saying I cannot believe I am 59 years old. I cannot believe I have a 22-year career as a head coach. I cannot tell you when I will stop because I cannot visualise it. The passion doesn't change," concluded Mourinho, reports The Daily Mail.
