CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? YOU’RE HAVING A LAUGH!
( And the Premier League record is nothing to be proud of either ) MOURINHO TAKES 12 MINUTES TO MOCK HIS OWN CLUB’S RECENT FOOTBALL ‘HERITAGE’
JOSE MOURINHO handed Manchester United and their fans a brutal reality check in an astonishing 12-minute rant.
Mourinho, reading from notes in an echo of Rafa Benitez’s infamous ‘facts’ rant, came out fighting in the wake of the shock Champions League exit to Sevilla by pointing to United’s poor record at home and abroad in recent years.
The self-titled Special One effectively mocked what he called United’s recent “football heritage” by suggesting their Champions League last-16 exit should have come as no surprise.
“The last time United won the Champions League, which didn’t happen a lot of times, was in 2008,” said Mourinho, whose side face Brighton this evening.
“Since 2011, when they reached the final – 2011/12, out in the group phase, the group was almost the same as we had this season, Benfica, Basel and Otelul.
“In 2013 out in the last 16. In 2014, out in the quarter-final.
“In 2015, no European football. In 2016, comes back to European football, out in the group phase, goes to Europa League and out in the second knockout round.
“In 2017, play Europa League, win it with me and go back to Champions League. In 2018, win the group phase with 15 points out of a possible 18 and lose at home in the last 16.
“So in seven years with four different managers, once not qualify for Europe, twice out in the group phase and the best was the quarter-final – this is football heritage.
“In the Premier League, the last victory was 2012-13 and in the four consecutive seasons United finished seventh, fourth, fifth and sixth. This is football heritage.”
Mourinho then turned his sights on runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, claiming their shrewd recruitment and investment before Pep Guardiola was a key factor in them being so far ahead.
“Do you know what is also heritage?” said Mourinho. “It’s that Otamendi, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Silva, Sterling, Aguero, they are investments from the past, not from the last two years. That’s football heritage and one day when I leave the next manager will find here Lukaku, Matic (left), of course De Gea from many years ago. “They will find players with a different mentality, quality, background, with a different status, know-how.” Mourinho added: “I could be in another country with the league already in the pocket, but I’m here. And no way am I going to change my mentality. “I’m not going to run away or disappear or to cry because I heard a few boos, I’m not going to disappear from the tunnel, running immediately. The next match I will be the first to go out. I’m not afraid of my responsibilities.”
Mourinho said while City were benefiting from past investments in players, United were paying the price for theirs, having moved on the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and Angel Di Maria in recent seasons. “Do you know how many of United players that left the club last season?” said Mourinho. “See where they play, how they play, if they play. That’s football heritage.”
UNITED IN EUROPE
2012 Champs Lge Group KO stage, Europa Lge Last 16 2013 Champs Lge Last 16 2014 Champs Lge Last 8 2015 Did not qualify 2016 Champs Lge group stage, Europa Lge Last 16 2017 Europa Lge winners 2018 Champs Lge Last 16