Someone’s 0 has 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 winning all six
- Roma boss Jose Mourinho is unbeaten as a manager in his five European finals
- Opponent Sevilla can boast a perfect record of six victories in the Europa League final
- The sides meet at the Puskas Arena in Budapest with history on the line
Tonight in Budapest, someone’s 0 has 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 later, the Portuguese can land a sixth piece of European silverware when Roma meet Sevilla.
Mourinho’s record in previous finals is five played, five won.
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 current European competitions. To mark that piece of history, the 60-year-old had the Conference League trophy tattooed on his arm.
The problem for Roma and Mourinho is that the Europa League has long been etched in Seville’s soul.
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 victory in a European final
Sevilla won a record sixth Europa League in 2020 and will aim to maintain their perfect record
The Spanish club has won six times in this competition – more than anyone else. And their form in the final is also perfect. Since 2006, they have played six and won six.
So new ground will be broken in Budapest. Who is victorious.
Mourinho has tried to shake off the weight of memory.
“I don’t think too much about what happened before,” he said. Even if the signs are there, that 2003 UEFA Cup victory over Celtic came in Seville.
“History doesn’t win games,” Mourinho added. It’s a new final. It’s new history.’
And the Roma boss could 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 – knows a spot in the Champions League awaits tonight’s winner.
Mourinho has insisted that history does not win games ahead of the Europa League final
Sevilla has been transformed since the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar in March
The Puskas Arena in Budapest will be the stage for the first of this season’s European finals
It is remarkable that Seville has come this far. They spent most of this season fighting to stay in La Liga. They burned two managers before Jose Luis Mendilibar arrived in March.
The turnaround was astonishing and now Seville is back in more familiar waters. United and Juventus were both beaten en route to this final – they have only lost twice since Mendilibar took over.
Still anchored by experienced heads like Ivan Rakitic (35) and Jesus Navas (37), they arrive in Budapest with a familiar sense of destination.
“We transform (on European nights),” Navas said. “It’s incredible… it’s a competition that has brought us a lot, and the joy it gives us every time we participate in it drives us to go as far as we can.”