Somebody’s 0 has got to go: Jose Mourinho and Sevilla will put their proud records on the line in the Europa League final TONIGHT, with the Roma boss unbeaten in five European finals and the Spanish side having won all six of theirs
- Roma boss Jose Mourinho is unbeaten in his five European finals as a manager
- Opponents Sevilla boast a perfect record of six wins in Europa League finals
- The sides will meet at the Puskas Arena in Budapest with history on the line
Tonight in Budapest, somebody’s 0 has got to go.
Two decades have passed since Jose Mourinho first won a European trophy, leading Porto to UEFA Cup glory in 2003. Now, 20 years on, the Portuguese can land a sixth piece of European silverware when Roma meet Sevilla.
Mourinho’s record in previous finals is: played five, won five.
The most recent came last year when Roma won the inaugural Europa Conference League and Mourinho became the first coach to complete a clean sweep of Europe’s current competitions. To mark that slice of history, the 60-year-old had the Conference League trophy tattooed on to his arm.
The problem for Roma and Mourinho is that the Europa League has long been imprinted on to the soul of Sevilla.
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Sevilla will meet Roma in Budapest on Wednesday as both clubs chase further European glory
Last season’s Europa Conference League gave Jose Mourinho a fifth win in a European final
Sevilla won a record sixth Europa League in 2020 and will aim to maintain their perfect record
The Spanish club have triumphed six times in this competition — more than anyone else. And their form in finals is perfect, too. Since 2006, they have played six, won six.
So new ground will be broken in Budapest. Whoever triumphs.
Mourinho has tried to shrug off the weight of memory.
‘I don’t think too much about what happened before,’ he said. Even if the omens are there: that 2003 UEFA Cup win over Celtic came in Seville.
‘History doesn’t win matches,’ Mourinho added. ‘It’s a new final. It’s new history.’
And the Roma boss can become the first coach to win this competition with three different teams after triumphs with Porto and Manchester United, in 2016-17. ‘I really don’t care,’ Mourinho insisted.
His stubborn Roma side — five clean sheets in eight knockout games — know a spot in the Champions League awaits tonight’s winner.
Mourinho has insisted that history does not win matches ahead of the Europa League final
Sevilla have been transformed since the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar back in March
The Puskas Arena in Budapest will be the stage for the first of this season’s European finals
It is remarkable that Sevilla have made it this far. They spent most of this season battling to stay in La Liga. They burned through two managers before Jose Luis Mendilibar arrived in March.
The turnaround has been stunning and now Sevilla are back in more familiar waters. United and Juventus were both beaten en route to this final — they have lost only twice since Mendilibar took over.
They are still anchored by experienced heads such as Ivan Rakitic (35) and Jesus Navas (37) and arrive in Budapest brimming with a familiar sense of destiny.
‘We transform (on European nights),’ Navas said. ‘It’s incredible… it’s a competition that has given us a lot, and the joy it provides us every time we take part in it drives us to go as far as possible.’
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