Understandably, Jose Mourinho wasn’t in the best mood after Manchester United’s defeat to Sevilla on Tuesday night.
Sevilla eliminated United at Old Trafford thanks to two away goals from substitute Wissam Ben Yedder and Mourinho was in prickly form in his post-match press conference.
The United boss risked infuriating his own supporters with his comments on United’s failure to qualify for the last eight of the Champions League being nothing new for the Red Devils.
“That is not the end of the world,” Mourinho said. “I sit in this chair twice in the Champions League and I knocked Man United out at home at Old Trafford.
“I’ve sat in this chair with Porto, Man United out. I’ve sat in this chair with Real Madrid, Man United out. So it is not something new for the club and of course being Manchester United manager and losing a Champions League tie at home is a disappointment, obviously.”
But while Mourinho may have been proving unpopular with his own fans, his post-match behaviour will have gone down a storm with Sevilla supporters.
BBC journalist Simon Stone reported that Mourinho asked for permission to go into the away dressing room and congratulate the La Liga side on their performance at the Theatre of Dreams.
Jose Mourinho went into the Sevilla dressing room after the game last night – he had asked for permission – to congratulate them and wish them best of luck for rest of competition. The gesture was appreciated.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) March 14, 2018
For a man who has been accused of being a sore loser in the past, it was a tremendously classy gesture to put his own disappointment to one side in order to applaud the opposition’s success.
