Jose reveals his new find
Jose Mourinho has revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic played a key role in Manchester United’s win over Ajax despite not playing.
The Swedish striker has become a talismanic figure since joining on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain last summer and was the club’s top scorer before his season was prematurely ended with a knee injury picked up in the closing stages of the Europa League semi-final win over Celta Vigo.
That injury kept him on the sidelines in Stockholm on Wednesday
But despite being restricted to a watching brief manager Mourinho revealed the - old had a big impact, particularly on the Friends Arena ball boys.
“I think it’s so unfair what happened to him,” he said about Ibrahimovic missing the match in his native Sweden. “Sometimes football is unfair, sometimes life is unfair, I think it’s so unfair.
“This night would be an amazing night if he was on the pitch, in his hometown, in the stadium where his statue will be, his first club when he left Sweden, his actual club in Manchester United, a season where he made an amazing impact, I’m really, really, really sorry Zlatan has not played this final.
“But he played. He played outside with crutches with the other guys, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Eric Bailly, they were playing behind the bench shouting, they were doing everything. THE INDEPENDENT