Jose Mourinho wishes Tottenham ‘the best – even Mr Levy’ after aiming another dig at them for sacking him just days before the Carabao Cup final… as ‘hurt’ Roma boss admits timing was ‘strange for a guy with my career and history’
- Jose Mourinho sent his best wishes to Tottenham after his shock exit last year
- The Portuguese boss was axed less than a week before the Carabao Cup final
- Timing of his dismissal shocked football world and it’s still on Mourinho’s mind
Jose Mourinho has sent his best wishes to all those associated with Tottenham – even chairman Daniel Levy – as he opened up on his ‘strange’ sacking.
The Portuguese manager was axed in April 2021 – just six days before the Carabao Cup final – following dismal Premier League form and failure in the Europa League.
Mourinho lasted just shy of 18 months at Tottenham after replacing fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino but the timing of his dismissal shocked the football world.
Jose Mourinho (L) has sent his best wishes to Tottenham – even chairman Daniel Levy (R)
The 59-year-old, now at Roma, had shed light on his Spurs exit now the dust has settled and although he admitted it ‘hurt’, he didn’t regret anything.
‘I am in the maturity of my career and also my life where I don’t have bad feelings. I just try to accept the things the way they are,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘Yes. Yes it hurt.’
Just last week Mourinho took a fresh swipe at the Premier League outfit over their decision to axe him less than a week before facing Manchester City in the League Cup final.
He was speaking before guiding his Roma side to the Europa Conference League final after they saw off Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester.
‘The only match I want to win is the next one – even more so if that’s a semi-final,’ he said.
Mourinho spoke about Spurs sacking less than a week before the Carabao Cup final last year
‘If you win it gives you a right to play the final – if you are not sacked before the final.’
Mourinho recalled those comments in his latest interview as he insisted he makes light of the dismissal because the timing was so unusual.
‘I react in a funny way when I speak with some English journalists at press conferences. I always say the joke about qualifying for the [Conference League] Final, I hope not to be sacked this time, because it’s something that doesn’t happen to too many coaches,’ he continued to Sky Sports.
‘This time I cannot say I’m the privileged one, because it happened to me.
‘I don’t have regrets. I don’t have bad feelings. There are lots of nice people in Tottenham and I wish them the best. Even to Mr Levy.
Mourinho aimed a fresh swipe at Spurs only last week ahead of reaching another cup final
‘But for a guy with my career and my history I think it was a strange thing to happen.
‘But in the end it opened the door for me to be in Rome and I’m very happy to be in Rome.’
Mourinho will be looking to add the Europa Conference League trophy to his impressive haul when Roma face Feyenoord in the final on May 25.
‘Of course I would love to be in a position of fighting to win titles or to be in the Champions League where I played 160 or 170 games there,’ he added.
‘But I am loved here. I love the people here. I feel very much a part of the empathy created between the fans and the club and myself and the players. I’m very happy here.’
Roma have missed out on Champions League football next season as they sit 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Juventus with just two games to play.