Mourinho apologises for out of the ordinary celebration
Roma Coach Jose Mourinho said he has offered apologise to Sassuolo manager after his wide celebration following his sides victory on Sunday.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham boss sprinted down the touchline ‘like a 14-year-old’ while celebrating Roma’s last-gasp winner in his 1,000th game as manager.
Jose Mourinho said he feels like a 14-year-old kid again after Roma scored a winner in the dying minutes against Sassuolo to ensure he marked his 1,000th game as a manager with a victory.
Roma’s 2-1 win saw Mourinho take his tally to 638 career victories, having drawn 205 and lost 157 of his other games, and maintained his perfect start in the Italian capital.
Stephan El Shaarawy’s injury-time winner on Sunday night sparked wild scenes as Mourinho recreated his famous touchline-sprint celebration, which was first seen when he was Porto boss at Old Trafford in 2004.
Mourinho sprinted to join in in the celebrations with his players and fans and later revealed that he had apologised to Sassuolo’s manager for his wild reaction after El Shaarawy’s goal handed him an important victory on his landmark occasion.
‘During the week I was a liar, saying it wasn’t a special match. But it was a special match,’ Mourinho told DAZN.
‘It was a match with a special number for me and I always wanted to remember a match like this for my 1,000th game. I lied to everyone!
‘It could have ended 6 to 6, 7 to 7, (Roma goalkeeper) Rui Patricio came up with two miracles, we missed a few goals. Extraordinary game, a tremendous emotion.
‘Today I am not 58, but 14, when you start dreaming of a career in football. It was a child’s race, I apologised to [Sassuolo head coach Alessio] Dionisi, they played a fantastic game.’
Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, having won 33 trophies during his time with Porto, Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
The 58-year-old’s reputation has taken a hit in recent years, after underwhelming spells at United and Tottenham. But his brilliant start back in Italy could soon change that perception should it continue.
The victory that arguably made his name as a manager came in 2004, when his Porto side eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League thanks to Costinha’s 90th-minute goal.
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The dramatic late strike saw Mourinho hare off down the Old Trafford touchline in a state of delirium, leaping and punching the air in delight, much to the fury of United fans and their then boss Sir Alex Ferguson.