Mourinho plays down talk of Wembley advantage as United seek to disrupt Spurs’ home comforts
MANCHESTER UTD
V TOTTENHAM FA Cup semi-final Wembley Stadium Today, 5:15pm Live on BBC 1
Jose Mourinho says Manchester United are not at a disadvantage playing today’s FA Cup semi-final with Tottenham at Wembley, Spurs’ temporary home this season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been playing at the national stadium – the venue for both of this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals, with Chelsea playing Southampton tomorrow – while White Hart Lane has been rebuilt this season.
Mourinho pointed to his Inter Milan side’s 2010 Coppa Italia triumph against Roma at their opponents’ Stadio Olimpico home and his Real Madrid team’s 2013 loss at the Bernabeu to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final.
Mourinho, who is seeking a fourth FA Cup triumph after three with Chelsea, said: “I don’t think it’s an advantage at all. I played one cup final in Roma’s stadium against Roma and I won. I played 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.
“In some countries even the cup semi-final is played home and away, not [in a] neutral ground, like in England. That’s just football. I look at this, Tottenham-manchester United, the same way I look at Huddersfield-manchester United or Manchester United-brighton at Old Trafford. Sometimes it’s at home, sometimes it’s away. This time it’s away, but I don’t see any advantage. For me it’s the same as playing at Old Trafford.”
In tomorrow’s last-four clash Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is hoping his love affair with the FA Cup has followed him across London.
Giroud lifted the trophy with Arsenal in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and is now looking for more Wembley success with the Stamford Bridge side.
“I signed here to win trophies. If I win it again, it would be my fourth FA Cup in five years,” he said.
“I want to carry on the good momentum because I was unbeaten at Wembley with Arsenal and I want to do it with Chelsea too.
“Of course the FA Cup is very important. Since I have been in England everyone talks about the Premier League but the FA Cup is massive as well. I understand that and I really want it for the fans. We are still hoping to qualify for the Champions League and as long as that’s mathematically possible we still have hope but the FA Cup is something different.”