Jose not worried by Spurs’ ‘home’ game

JOSE Mourinho has dismissed the suggestion that Tottenham have home advantage against United at Wembley.

Spurs have played their home fixtures at the national stadium this season while their new White Hart Lane ground is built but the FA decided against switching their semifinal venue to a different arena. FA Cup semi-finals have been played at the new Wembley since 2009.

United were hopeless in their 2-0 defeat at Spurs in the Premier League in January but Mourinho reminded reporters of his cup final records in Italy and Spain. Mourinho’s Internazionale beat Roma in their Stadio Olimpico in the Coppa Italia final in 2010, but the Portuguese’s Real Madrid side were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the 2013 Copa del Rey final at the Bernabeu.

“Look, I played one cup final in Roma’s stadium against Roma and I won,” Mourinho explained. “And I play a cup final in my stadium and I lost.

“So I think when you go to these big moments, with these big decisions, semi-finals, finals, I don’t think it’s an advantage at all. In some countries, even the cup semi-final is played with a draw and you play at home or away, not a neutral ground like in England and that’s just football.

“So I look at this TottenhamManchester United the same way I look at Huddersfield-Manchester United [in the fifth round] or Manchester United-Brighton [in the quarter-final] at Old Trafford, sometimes it’s home, sometimes it’s away.”