Mourinho’s Euro woes add to United’s misery

Manager’s last away win in the knockout stages came at the Red Devils’ expense in 2013

Jose Mourinho is facing an unsettling new reality in the Uefa Champions League as Manchester United launch their campaign at Young Boys of Bern today.

Mourinho was once the Champions League’s pre-eminent force. But it is four years since the Portuguese coach last managed a victory in the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition.

In Mourinho’s past 10 knockout games with United and Chelsea in the Champions League he has just two wins and five draws — his last away victory in the knockout stages came at United’s expense in 2013 when he was still at Real Madrid.

Mourinho will be desperate to erase the memory of United’s spineless last-16 exit against Sevilla last season.

The desperate message from the stands that night left Mourinho looking a forlorn figure on the same turf where he had announced his arrival on the Champions League stage with a jubilant touchline jig during Porto’s shock win 14 years previously.

Back then, Mourinho had the world at his feet and he would go on to win the competition for the first time as Porto demolished Monaco in the 2004 final.

Mourinho’s move to Chelsea launched the ‘Special One’ brand. But Premier League titles did not translate into more glory in the Champions League as Chelsea were twice knocked out by Liverpool in the 2005 and 2007 semi-finals.

Mourinho found the magic again at Inter Milan, knocking out Chelsea and Barcelona and

In Mourinho’s past 10 knockout games with United and Chelsea in the Champions League he has just two wins and five draws.

■ beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final to deliver the club’s first European Cup for 45 years.

The Portuguese was just the third manager to win the competition with two clubs and, joining Real Madrid just days later, he appeared to be in the ideal place to add to his personal collection. But a semi-final loss to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in 2011 was followed by a painful penalty shoot-out defeat at the same stage against Bayern Munich 12 months later.

Not so invincible

And by the time Borussia Dortmund sent Real crashing out in the semi-finals yet again in 2013, Mourinho had begun to lose his aura of invincibility.

Back at Chelsea for the 2013-14 season, Mourinho’s change of scene did not bring of change of luck — this time it was Atletico Madrid who were the tormentors as the manager tasted semi-final anguish for the fourth successive year.

Axed by Chelsea less than a year later, Mourinho took over at United and won the Europa League in his first season.

But maintaining his flawless European final record was not a springboard for Champions League glory last term.

With memories of that Sevilla capitulation still fresh, Mourinho will head to Bern looking for a positive start to his redemption tour.