Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho goes on 12-minute rant in press conference
Jose Mourinho went on a remarkable 12-minute rant as he launched an impassioned defence of his Manchester United record in the wake of the shock Champions League exit to Sevilla.
After the struggles of David Moyes and Louis van Gaal following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the Old Trafford giants turned to the Portuguese in a bid to bring success back to the club.
United won the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield in his first season, but the FA Cup is now the only silverware they can realistically achieve this time out.
Mourinho has been criticised by pundits and fans for his approach over both legs against Sevilla, but initially appeared in jovial mood at a press conference ahead of Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton.
Premier League Winner Without Man City (odds via Sky Bet)
- Manchester United - 1/2
- Liverpool - 7/2
- Tottenham - 9/2
- Chelsea - 40/1
"Hello, hello, I'm alive, I'm here," he told journalists in an exaggerated fashion, going onto answer four questions in a standard manner before one on the fans' reaction to the Sevilla loss brought an extraordinary reaction.
"Fans are the fans, and the fans have the right to have their opinions and to have their reactions," Mourinho said.
"But there is something that I used to call football heritage - I try to translate from my Portuguese, which is almost perfect to my English that is far from perfect.
"But translation, word by word is something like football heritage and what a manager inherits is something like is that the last time Manchester United won the Champions League, which didn't happen a lot of times, was in 2008. The (last) final was 2011."
Then Mourinho, using pre-prepared notes, went through each of United's European seasons since that final against Barcelona in detail.
"Since 2011, 2012 out in the group phase. The group was almost the same group as we had this season: Benfica, Basel and Galati from Romania. Out in the group phase.
"In 2013, out at Old Trafford in the last-16. I was in the other bench (as Real Madrid manager).
"In 2014, out in the quarter-final.
"In 2015, no European football.
FA Cup winner (odds via Sky Bet)
- Manchester United - 2/1
- Tottenham - 9/4
- Chelsea - 7/2
- Southampton - 8/1
- Leicester - 9/1
- Brighton - 28/1
- Swansea - 28/1
- Wigan - 40/1
"In 2016, comes back to European football, out in the group phase, goes to Europa League and on the second knockout out, out of Europa League.
"On 2017, play Europa League, win Europa League with me and goes back to Champions League.
"In 2018, win the group phase with 15 points in possible 18 and loses at home the last-16.
"So, in seven years with four different managers, once not qualified for Europe, twice out in the group phase and the best was a quarter-final. This is football heritage.
He then highlighted Manchester City's recent success, name-checking some of their established players, before adding: "Do you know how many of United players that left the club last season? See where they play. Where they play, how they play, if they play. That's football heritage.
"And one day when I leave, the next Manchester United manager will find here (Romelu) Lukaku, (Nemanja) Matic, of course (David) De Gea from many years ago, they will find players with a different mentality, with a different quality, with a different background, with a different status, with a different knowhow."
The United boss then pointed to the European giants that have dominated the Champions League in recent years, before affirming his position as United managers for years to come.
"And the good thing for me and the amazing feeling for me is that I am (on) exactly in the same page as the owners, as (executive vice-chairman) Mr (Ed) Woodward, as (managing director) Mr (Richard) Arnold," he said.
It is an "amazing job" he would much prefer to be doing rather than in "the kind of league you win before the league starts", even if that means being booed by some fans.
"I am here and I am going to be here, and no way - no way - I am going to change my mentality," Mourinho said defiantly.
"For me, I don't know if you know the expression, I don't know if the translation to England makes you understand, but there is quote that I like which is something like 'in every wall is a door'.
"I am not going to run away, I am not going to disappear, I am not going to cry because I heard a few boos.
"I am not going to disappear from the tunnel, running immediately.
"The next match I'll be the first to go out. I respect the fans, I am not afraid anything. I am not afraid of my responsibilities."
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