Jose Mourinho offers Dutch journalist a Europa Conference League keychain after beating Feyenoord
The ‘Special One’ was the centre of attention on Thursday evening, mocking those who questioned his team’s first leg performance.
Roma coach Jose Mourinho has enjoyed a renaissance in the Eternal City and his team secured another European semi-final on Thursday night.
Mourinho’s side booked their place in the final four with a 4-1 win over Dutch giants Feyenoord, the same team that Roma beat in last season’s Europa Conference League final.
The Portuguese coach faced some tough questioning from the media after the 1-1 first leg draw in Rotterdam and he took the opportunity to mock the Dutch journalists after Thursday’s win. He singled out one journalist for special treatment, handing him a keychain version of the trophy that he had lifted against Feyenoord last May.
Mourinho was in jubilant mood on Thursday night, even taking the time to celebrate the win with fans before the final whistle had been blown.
While his team were playing out the final moments on the pitch, Mourinho strolled along the touchline, embracing with his staff and rallying the crowd in the Stadio Olimpico.
Mourinho continues beef with Feyenoord
The Special One left the Premier League under something of a cloud after an unceremonious exit from Tottenham Hotspur, but he appears to have his mojo back in Italy. After winning the Europa Conference League last season, Roma are now in the semi-finals of the Europa League and are sitting in the qualification spots for next year’s Champions League.
He has returned to his uber-confident self in press conferences and Thursday was not the first time that he has gone toe-to-toe with the media in recent weeks.
After the first leg against Feyenoord, Mourinho told the Dutch media: “For the past 10 months you were crying [after losing in the final]. But you shouldn’t cry.”
“You know why? [Because] you cannot win the match that you lost. You lost a game, you cannot win that one. The only problem today, is that it is half-time. I promise you if I lose, I sleep, I don’t cry. And I will not go without sleeping for 10 months having nightmares.”
After a resounding second leg victory, Jose Mourinho is in dreamland.