Jose Mourinho, the manager of Italian football club AS Roma, has explained why he did not celebrate their recent win against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-final second leg. Despite securing a spot in the Europa League final against Sevilla in June, Mourinho decided against running onto the pitch to celebrate, as a sign of respect to Leverkusen’s coach Xabi Alonso.
The first leg of the match between Roma and Bayer Leverkusen ended in favour of the Italians with a score of 1-0. The second leg saw Roma hold onto a 0-0 draw in Germany on Thursday night, allowing the team to proceed to the final of Europe’s second-tier competition in Istanbul, Turkey next month.
Mourinho, who managed Alonso at Real Madrid, explained that the decision not to celebrate was a result of his long-standing friendship with the opposition’s coach. Mourinho revealed, “To tell you the truth, it’s very hard for me to come up against my friends because while you may forget during the game, it’s tough afterwards. I don’t like celebrating in front of my guys and the person doing an extraordinary job out there, Xabi, is one of mine. That’s why I struggle.”
This respectful gesture reflects the professional attitude of Mourinho and highlights his sportsmanship, which has been admired throughout his career. The Portuguese coach previously led Roma to victory in the Europa Conference League last season and will now hope to add another trophy to his collection with the upcoming Europa League final.
