Europa Conference League final: Roma v Feyenoord – Jose Mourinho aims for fifth European title

Tammy Abraham is one of three English players in the Roma squad, alongside Chris Smalling and Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Jose Mourinho is looking to extend his perfect European finals record when his Roma side take on Feyenoord in the first Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.

The Portuguese has won all of his four finals – two with Porto and one each with Inter Milan and Manchester United.

He becomes the first manager to lead four teams to a European final.

“If I win I’ll be the first to win all the European trophies, but that’s only if I win,” said Mourinho.

He guided Porto to UEFA Cup success in 2003 and a stunning Champions League triumph the following season. In 2010 he again won Europe’s highest club prize with Inter Milan and led Manchester United to victory in the Europa League, formerly Uefa Cup, in 2017.

When Mourinho first took charge of Chelsea in 2004, he famously called himself “a very special one”, a nickname he now appears keen to ditch in the past.

“The ‘Special One’ story is an old story,” Mourinho added. “That was when I was at the beginning [of my career]. When you are more mature and stable, you think more about people and less about yourself.

“When you arrive at a final after a season of hard work, the work is done. It’s the team’s moment, not an individual’s moment.

“I don’t believe in potions, I don’t believe in spells. There’s nothing special to do, just be us as a team. Knowing the qualities we have, knowing the limitations we have.

“For me, no matter how the final ends, it’s a positive season for us.”

Feyenoord have not reached a European final since winning the 2002 UEFA Cup.

Arne Slot’s side, who finished third in the Dutch Eredivisie, have the top scorer in the Conference League in Cyriel Dessers with 10 goals.

However, Tammy Abraham, who has had a stellar first season at Roma after joining from Chelsea, has scored nine goals.

The England striker has scored 27 goals in all competitions, including two on the final day of Serie A campaign against Torino to seal sixth place and Europa League qualification.

Abraham also scored the only goal in Roma’s second leg semi-final win over Leicester.

Roma have not won a title since winning the Italian Cup in 2008 and have not won a European title since the Fairs Cup – the predecessor of the UEFA Cup/Europa League – in 1961.

“It’s no small trophy to me,” Abraham replied to suggestions that the Conference League paled in comparison to Europe’s two mainstream tournaments.

“I believe that every final is a final, no matter what competition it is. You get to the final, you want to win the final.

“It’s a trophy and those are the moments you look back on in your career and say you want to win trophies.”

“The fans would have filled the Bernabeu”

The National Arena, with a capacity of 20,000, was not large enough to meet the demand for tickets.

Feyenoord said they were disappointed with the allocation of 4,000 tickets and had asked fans not to buy from advertisers.

Mourinho said fans had “packed” Real Madrid’s Bernabeu, which seats 81,000.

Roma reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2017/18 and the semi-finals of the Europa League last season.

Mourinho has to some extent rebuilt his reputation in Italy after a chastening spell in charge of Manchester United and Tottenham in the Premier League.

“His CV makes you suspicious of his team,” Slot said. “He’s known for winning a lot of finals.

“But above all we have to focus on his team, tactics and different styles of play. We shouldn’t pay too much attention to the fact that he has such an impressive record in finals.”