Harry Fletcher
Mar 16, 2022
Manchester United
A clip showing Jose Mourinho lamenting Manchester United’s poor record in Europe from 2018 has gone viral following the club’s exit from the Champions League on Tuesday.
Fans inside Old Trafford last night had hoped to see their side progress in the last-16 second leg tie against Atletico Madrid, but instead experienced another of the routine exits the club has endured over recent years.
Thousands voiced their disappointment online, and it led many to return to a clip of Jose speaking about United’s ‘heritage’ in the competition.
The footage was filmed after United were dumped out of the Champions League following a shock defeat to Sevilla in 2018, and the comments are ringing true again in 2022.
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Despite the club winning the tournament back in 2008/09, the footage shows the former United coach lamenting the team’s poor performances in Europe ever since that time.
Timing is everything and Mourinho said this exactly four years ago today #mufcpic.twitter.com/aRr90PWwvZ— Samuel Luckhurst (@Samuel Luckhurst) 1647393055
He said: "Since 2011 - 2012 out in the group phase - the group was the almost the same as we had this season. In 2013 - out at Old Trafford in the last 16, I was in the other bench. In 2014 - out in the quarter-final. In 2015 - no European football. In 2016 - comes back to European football, out in the group phase, drops into the Europa League and on the second knockout is out.
"In 2017 - play Europa League and win Europa League with me to go back to the Champions League. In 2018 - win the group phase with 15 points and loses at home in the last 16. So in seven years, with four different managers, once they haven't qualified, twice out in the group phase and the best was a quarter-final."
He added: "This is football heritage. And if you want to go to the Premier League the last victory was 2013."
Mourinho managed Man United from 2016-2018 POOL/AFP via Getty Images
While the record of English clubs winning the Champions League has changed since then, with Liverpool winning in 2018/19 and Chelsea in 2020/21, United’s fortunes haven’t changed despite the club spending more than £1billion on transfer fees since their last success in the competition.
Mourinho's comments seems more timely than ever after Tuesday night’s result.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady has shocked the sporting world after announcing his comeback just two months after retiring – and fans of Cristiano Ronaldo fans and Manchester United are convinced he had something to do with it.
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