Jose Mourinho sent a special message to his former club Real Madrid and their boss Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the Champions League final.
The Spanish giants booked their place in the showpiece event of Europe’s premier club competition to face Liverpool this season following on from their remarkable semi-final comeback victory over Manchester City.
Rodrygo Goes netted twice in the final minute of the match for the Spanish giants as Pep Guardiola’s side capitulated in the closing stages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory – after Riyad Mahrez had given the visitors the lead. Karim Benzema’s penalty in extra-time sealed the progress for the Spanish giants after City had led 5-3 on aggregate going into the final minute of regulation time.
The dramatic nature of the match left Real Madrid boss Ancelotti clearly emotional on the sidelines as his side continued their remarkable run in the competition while his counterpart Pep Guardiola was left to rue Man City’s capitulation and failure to reach the final when it was within their grasp.
Mourinho was speaking a day later after he guided current club Roma through to the final of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League. The Portuguese boss was visibly emotional on the touchline after the achievement, highlighting how much the victory meant to him on a personal level.
Tammy Abraham’s header ensured the Italian giants edged out Leicester in the second leg of their semi-final in the Conference League after a stalemate in the first encounter. Mourinho's side will now collide with Dutch giants Feyenoord in the final on May 25 in Albania as they look to end their 14-year trophy drought.
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Mourinho – who coached Los Blancos between 2010 and 2013 - took time after the triumph to send a special message of acknowledgement to both Madrid and Ancelotti. The Portuguese boss said: "They are a club that I have in my heart. Real Madrid are great and Carletto (Ancelotti) is great! Let's see if we win the (UCL) final."
Roma's European exploits have ensured that Mourinho's first year in Rome is not an outright failure despite their struggles in Serie A. The Italian side are currently in fifth spot and have already missed out on qualification for next year's Champions League campaign.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho said: "Why did I shed a tear? Because I feel what [the fans] all feel. It’s a giant club without a trophy room for the social importance of this club. I know what it means to these people and my emotion was for them. I’ve been lucky enough to be in more prestigious finals but this made me feel very special."
