“It looked like it was not the last 16, it looked like it was the final.”
Jose Mourinho still has fond memories of celebrating wildly in the Old Trafford visiting changing rooms.
He brought his Porto team to town and shocked the continent by winning in the lion’s den and advancing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a Portuguese outfit that wasn’t given much of a chance.
So they got back to the dressing rooms and the soaked it in together. Massive results call for massive celebrations but, suddenly, a bang came on their door.
Nowadays at Old Trafford, you could only assume the hosts weren’t happy by what was going on – that they were barging in to turn off the music and to tell the guests to have a bit of respect. Back then, even the great Manchester United could have respect for their victors.
Alex Ferguson and Gary Neville knocked on the door and congratulated Mourinho and Porto for what they had done. Champions’ class.
Thank God Fergie didn't have a problem with Mourinho celebrating at Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/ajzmmSwGPe
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) December 13, 2017
According to Mourinho, that’s something which has stuck with him. A lesson in humility and class that would teach him to applaud a better team and accept when they had been beaten.
On Sunday though, the fracas said to have unfolded beneath the stands at Old Trafford is a sad indictment of where United have been allowed to sink to. Pep Guardiola spoke on Tuesday about it, that he told his players to celebrate and enjoy the moment, but if it wasn’t bitterness that encouraged Mourinho to have a problem with the celebrations, it was definitely just another diversion tactic.
The United boss has an issue with teams and individuals who over-celebrate after beating his side. Antonio Conte felt the wrath last year after Chelsea won 4-0 at Stamford Bridge and the Italian… celebrated.
It’s something Mourinho could never be accused of.
Manchester United v FC Porto
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Real Madrid v Man City
Liverpool v Chelsea
Chelsea v Liverpool
Mourinho took exception to what he perceived as over-zealous celebrations on City’s part at Old Trafford – this is the same man who roared and pumped his arms wildly at Anfield with his team in third place, going nowhere else.
“It was a question of diversity in behaviour, in education, nothing more than that,” Mourinho said of interrupting City’s celebrations.
You see, for him, it’s all about respect.
