Jose Mourinho speaks ...
“I’ve won five finals and I lost this one, but I’m coming back home proud again,” he tells Sky Sports Italia. “The boys gave everything. We are all attached to the shirt, to our nature. We take things seriously and humbly, we work a lot. Everyone reacts in a different way: one cries, the other doesn’t. The truth is that we are all very sad, with or without crying. Great match, great final – intense, vibrant.” Good lord.
Man of the match: Uefa have given the gong to Sevilla goalkeeper Bono. My vote goes to Anthony Taylor, who somehow managed to stay in control of the game despite constant harrassment from Roma’s players. I remain unconvinced that he was correct in overturning that penalty he awarded Sevilla but I’ll need to see it again.
Match report: Sevilla 1-1 Roma (aet) (4-1 on pens)
Europa League final: “Sevilla’s empire just will not fall, not even to the Romans,” writes Sid Lowe from the Puskas Arena in Budapest. “After three long, exhausting hours, the match that seemed to never end, just like their extraordinary dominance of this competition, came down to a single kick.”
Jesus Navas hoists the trophy skywards!!!
A winner 17 years ago and a winner again tonight, Sevilla’s evergreen 37-year-old captain is the last of Sevilla’s squad to reach the podium and lifts the trophy alongside Ivan Rakatic. THey lift it into the Budapest night sky to much fan fanfare, the scream of pyrotechnics and the roar of confetti cannons. Well done to them.
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The trophy lift: The players of Roma make their way through a Sevilla guard of honour to collect their medals from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin.
The trophy lift: Anthony Taylor and his team of match officials are presented with their commemorative medals. They’ve certainly earned them.
The trophy lift: It’s after midnight in Budapest and a team of five be-blazered Uefa dignatories have taken their place on the podium. A clearly furious Jose Mourinho is walking around the pitch applauding fans of both teams.
He finally makes his way up on to the podium to collect his loser’s medal. He immediately removes it, walks to the bench and throws it to a fan seated behind the dug-out before walking off down the tunnel. his players are still out on the pitch waiting to collect their consolation trinkets. In your own time, lads … although some of us have to be up early in the morning.
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An email: “I gave up after 90 minutes,” writes David Middleton. “I couldn’t bear to watch any more antics by the managers and other benchers. As for the game, it reminded me of being 13 and watching Stockport County draw 0-0 with Crewe on a frosty February Friday night: huff, puff and foul, huff ... ad nauseum.”
Jose Mourinho: The Roma manager’s post-match comments should be interesting although he may retreat into “if I speak I am in in big trouble” mode. No doubt he’ll feel aggrieved but few neutrals will begrudge Sevilla their victory given the aggressive, in-your-face petulance of Roma’s players, their staff and their manager.
Without wanting to go all “Won’t somebody think of the children?”, they disgraced themselves this evening and may well have won if they had put as much effort into playing football as they did badgering the referee, his assistants and the fourth official.
Sevilla have won the Europa League in the reign of every permanent Manchester United manager after Ron Atkinson except Jose Mourinho. Although they have just won the Europa League against a team managed by Jose Mourinho.
— Richard Jolly 🇺🇦 (@RichJolly) May 31, 2023
That final penalty: Gonzalo Montiel hit the right upright with his spot-kick but in the VAR bunker, Stuart Attwell noticed that Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio had encroached and ordered a re-take. Montiel made no mistake second time around and for the second time this season, secured a major trophy with a decisive spot-kick.
Sevilla win the Europa League ...
Sevilla’s players celebrate wildly as the players of Roma slump to the turf in despair. On the touchline, Jose Mourinho hugs his opposite number, Jose Luis Mendilibar, who has helped save Sevilla from relegation and steered them to victory in the Europa League.
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SEVILLA ARE CHAMPIONS!!!
Montiel scores at the second time of asking and Sevilla are Europa League champions for the seventh time!!!
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Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 3-1 Roma
Gonzalo Montiel scored the winner in the World Cup final shoot-out but misses here. He hits the right post .. but Patricio came off his line and it will be taken again!!!!
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Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 3-1 Roma
Roger Ibanez hits the post and Roma are in big, big trouble.
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Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 3-1 Roma
Rakitic scores into the bottom left-hand corner.
Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 2-1 Roma
Gianlucca Mancini misses, shooting down the middle to see his effort saved by the legs of Bono.
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Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 2-1 Roma
Erik Lamela whips his into the bottom corner, evading the outstretched arm of Rui Patricio.
Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 1-1 Roma
Cristante smashes the ball past Bono, who went the right way.
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Penalty shoot-out: Sevilla 1-0 Roma
Ocampos fires Sevilla ahead, rolling the ball down the centre as Patricio dives to his left.
Penalty shoot-out: Goalkeepers Bono and Rui PAtricio get some late “advice” from Anthony Taylor and it looks like Sevilla will go first. Luis Ocampos has ball in hand.
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Full time: Sevilla 1-1 Roma (aet)
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! A scrappy, bad-tempered, often diabolical spectacle draws to a merciful close and will be settled by a penalty shoot-out. Who’s your money on?
ET30+10: Roma have a fre-kick wide on the right, in line with the edge of the penalty area. Zelewski’s cross is headed out for a corner before Cristante can get his head to it. From the set-piece, Chris Smalling’s looping header hits the bar!!!
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ET30+9: A Roma free-kick is punched away by Bono and Ocampos gets booked for a foul on somebody-or-other.
ET30+7: Sevilla double-substitution: Gudelj comes off and is replaced by the Brazilian, Marcao. Fernando is replaced byJordan, who has already been booked for misbehaving on the bench earlier in the game.
ET30+5: Roma have an extremely half-hearted penalty appeal turned down and there’s another break in play as Sevilla defender Gudelj receives treatmewnt in his own penalty area.
ET30+2: If ever there was an argument for scrapping extra time and going straight to penalties, this is it. To be honest, if ever there was an argument for scrapping football matches altogether and going straight to penalties, this final has been it. The pitch at the Puskas Arena currently looks like the set of John Wick, such is the number of bodies strewn around it.
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ET30: Roma substitution: Edoardo Bove replaces Matic. We’ll have six minutes of added time at the end of extra time.
ET29: Matic goes to ground again as Jose Mourinho gets into a blazing row on the touchline with fourth official Michael Oliver and several Sevilla substitutes. The Roma manager finally gets booked.
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ET27: Matic dawdles towards the touchline before coming back on, while Anthony Taylor pointedly points towards his watch to signify that he’ll be adding on time.
ET26: Roma midfielder Nemanja Matic goes to ground, lying on his back as a physio and Chris Smalling try to alleviate the symptoms of his cramp.
ET24: Lamela drives forward through the centre but his shot is weak and blocked by Smalling.
ET22: Following a lengthy break in play so Ibanez could receive treatment for a cut lip, the game resumes. Both teams seem to have settled for spot-kicks but as Sheffield Wednesday showed with their late, late winner in the closing seconds of extra time in Monday’s League One play-off, it ain’t over til it’s over.
ET18: Lamela scurries forward but is penalised for illegal use of the elbow as he tried to shrug off Roger Ibanez, who seemed to to be the aggressor and clattered into him from behind. Lamela gets booked and feels very aggrieved.
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Second half: Sevilla 1-1 Roma
ET16: Into the final 15 minutes of a game that seems destined to end in a penalty shoot-out we go. Can anyone find a winner? Sevilla win another corner and the ball finds its way to Nemanja Gudelj outside the Roma penalty area. He pulls his low, long-range effort wide of the left upright.
Half-time in extra time: Sevilla 1-1 Roma
Peep! Anthony Taylor signals for the turnaround and the players of both sides adjourn to the touchline for some drinks, a huddle and another pep talk. Jose Mourinho looks very animated indeed.
ET14: Penalised for trying to pull the shirt off the back of Karim Rekik, who is on for Alex Telles, Nicola Zelewski becomes the sixth Roma player to be booked. At least two, if not three or four of their coaching staff have also had their names taken.
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ET12: THe players of both teams look shattered, each one desperate not to be the one who makes a mistake that costs their side the game. Ocampos sends a cross from the right touchline trying to pick out En-Nesyri but wildly overhits his delivery.
ET9: Matic is dragged to the ground by Suso, who grabs a fistful of the front of the midfielder’s shirt to haul him down. Free-kick for Roma.
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ET7: Rakitic and Lamela combine through the centre for Sevilla but are forced to retreat after running into traffic. Lamela plays the ball wide to Telles and the Spanish side continue to press and probe.
ET7: Rakitic slides in to put the ball out for a Roma corner, which is headed clear.
ET5: Sevilla substitution: Gonzalo Montiel, who scored the winning spot-kick for Argentina in the World Cup final penalty shoot-out comes on for Jesus Navas.
ET3: Sevilla defender Alex Telles leaps to head the ball clear of his own six-yard box and immediately goes to ground with cramp.
ET2: Sevilla win a free-kick near the halfway line and Jose Mourinho emerges from his technical area to rant and rave at their striker Youssef En-Nesyri, who looks bemused, points repeatedly to one eye and shrugs his shoulders.
Extra time: Sevilla 1-1 Roma
ET1: Play resumes and Nicola Zelewski is on for Roma in place of right wing-back Zeki Celik.
Full time: Sevilla 1-1 Roma
Peep! Anthony Taylor draws proceedings to a close, almost certainly sorry he overturned that Sevilla penalty to give himself a bettere chance of getting an early night. He has had to go about his business tonight in the most trying circumstances, getting it in the neck from both teams. A tip of the hat, however, to the players and backroom staff of Roma, who have accumulated – I think – eight yellow cards between them while contesting every single decision that has gone against them.
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90+5 min: A poor touch from Erik Lamela allows Chris Smalling to dispossess him with Sevilla on a promising attack. Sevilla regroup, fire off a couple of shots, one from Suso that is parried by Patricio and another that is blocked. On the third attempt, Fernando drags a low dasiy-cutter wide. We’ll have extra time.
90+3 min: Roma win a free-kick deep inside their own half. Rui Patricio gets the ball launched upfield and Sevilla clear their lines.
90+1 min: Another Navas cross from the right. Youssef En-Nesyri rises highest and makes firm contact but sends his header a couple of feet over the bar.
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90 min: We’ll have six minutes of added time and here’s hoping we get a winner in that time so we don’t have to sit through another 30 minutes of this bad-tempered, petulant garbage.
88 min: Correction: a replay shows that Belotti effort was actually saved brilliantly by Bono but Roma were denied a corner. We’ll allow them that grumble!
84 min: Roma go close with a well-worked free-kick for a Rakitic foul that should really have seen the Sevilla midfielder receive a second yellow card. The ball’s scooped over the top towards Belotti by Pellegrini but the sub can only volley into the side-netting.
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82 min: Yet another member of Roma’s coaching staff gets booked for dissent, as the Italian side appeal for a penalty for a totally unintentional hand-ball by Fernando, whose arm was by his side. Once again, the players of Roma surround Anthony Taylor in a bid to badger him.
79 min: I think Anthony Taylor bottled that decision in the face of protests from Roma’s players. There was definite contact between Ibanez and Ocampos, which does not in and of itself signify foul play. What’s important is that Taylor did not make a clear and obvious error in awarding the penalty (I think he was correct to give it originally) and therefore should not have changed his mind.
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Sevilla have a penalty overturned!
Roger Ibanez is adjudged to have brought down Luis Ocampos in the Roma penalty area and after pointing to the spot, Anthony Taylor is immediately surrounded by Roma players protesting the decision. While Jose Mourinho goes berserk on the touchline, he consults his monitor and overturns the decision!!!
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74 min: Zeki Celik gets booked for a foul on Suso, becoming the seventh member of his team and their backroom team to have their names taken. Roma substitution: Andreas Belotti on for Tammy Abraham.
73 min: Roma substitution: Paulo Dybala made way for Gini Wijnaldum about four minutes ago.
71 min: Navas curls another excellent cross into the Roma penalty area but it somehow evades all three of the players in white shirts loitering with intent. Sevilla win themselves a corner and Suso’s inswinger is headed clear.
66 min: A free-kick is swung into the Sevilla penalty area, Bono saves a close range effort from Tammy Abraham and a goalmouth scramble ensues. Roger Ibanez eventually takes a wild swing at the ball from about 10 yardes out, miskicks and sends his effort well wide of the upright.
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64 min: Five Roma players surround the referee after Rakitic is penalised for a foul on one of their number. He gets booked for the foul and Bryan Cristante gets booked for dissent. Meanwhile on the touchline, a member of Roma’s coaching staff gets booked for harrassing Michael Oliver, the fourth official, who is being subjected to all manner of abuse by assorted members of the Italian side’s staff who are working on rotation.
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61 min: Pellegrini drives the free-kick straight into the defensive wall, Roma recycle the ball and send it into the Sevilla penalty area. Smalling mistimes his leap at the far post and can’t get any power behind his downward header. Bono gathers.
60 min: Roma win a free-kick about 30 yards from goal, Mancini going down under a challenge from Ocampos. The Italian side’s players immediately surround Anthony Taylor, imploring him to book the Sevilla No55. He’s having none of it.
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57 min: It’s a goal the game desperately needed and Sevilla’s early pressure in the second half has paid off. It was a wonderful cross from Navas and, facing his own goal with Sevilla players either side of him, Mancini was pretty powerless to do anything much beyond send the ball past his own goalkeeper off his right knee or thigh.
GOAL! Sevilla 1-1 Roma (Mancini 55og)
Sevilla equalise! Gianluca Mancini knees a Jesus Navas cross from the right into his own net from six yards out under pressure from Luis Ocampos.
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52 min: Alex Telles sends a wild shot high and wide of the Roma goal-frame after running on to a pass into a pocket of space on the left side of the penalty area from Erik Lamela.
51 min: Sevilla midfielder Luis Ocampos doesn’t quite connect properly as he attempts to steer an overhead kick from the edge of the Roma penalty area goalwards. Wide.
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50 min: Gianluca Mancini gets booked for a cynical foul on Lamela which brings an end to a Sevilla sortie into Roma territory.
47 min: There’s a break in play so referee Anthony Taylor can give several different players a good talking-to. He seems understandably infuriated with their constant arguing over every little decision he makes.
47 min: Jesus Navas sends Sevilla’s first cross of the second half into the Roma penalty area. Roger Ibanez deals with it comfortably.
Second half: Sevilla 0-1 Roma
46 min: Call me a cynic but eyes front for what could be the longest, most foul-strewn 45 minutes of all our lives. Sevilla have made two changes: Suso and Erik Lamela are on for Oliver Torres and Bryan Gil.
If there's any kids watching the Europa League final tonight, this is what top-level European football often looked like in the mid-2000s.
— John Brewin (@JohnBrewin_) May 31, 2023
Half-time: Sevilla 0-1 Roma
Peep! An increasingly bad-tempered, bitty and not particularly entertaining first half draws to a close with Roma edging the game courtesy of Paulo Dybala’s fine finish. Sevilla went close to an equaliser moments before the break courtesy of Rakitic’s rasper but have otherwise struggled to create anything in the way of opportunities.
45+6 min: Ivan Rakitic is teed up by Torres and unleashes a low left-footed drive from 25 yards. The ball thumps the foot of the upright and ricochets back into play.
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45+4 min: Alex Telles tries to drill a low cross into the Roma penalty area from the left but the ball’s blocked before it can reach the near post. Moments later, Youssef En-Nesyri climbs to reach an Oliver Torres cross towards the far post but the ball is intercepted.
45+2 min: We’re into seven minutes of added time. Sevilla sling another hopeful cross into the Roma box but there’s nobody on hand in a white shirt to get near it.
45 min: Dybala pulls the ball back to Pellegrini but he’s unable to get a shot away. Instead, he throwsd himself to the ground looking for a penalty and is shown a yellow card for simulation. Needless to say, that decision is also hotly contested even though his dive in the face of a non-challenge from Rakitic was blatant. Taylor needs to crack some skulls together here, show a few more yellow cards or even a red, otherwise this game is going to get away from him.
42 min: Alex Telles sends a cross from the left into the Roma penalty area but Luis Ocampus is beatn to the ball by Roger Ibanez. Cue: a massive crow betweeen several players and the referee over whether or not it should be a corner. Every decision being made by Anthony Taylor is being contested to within an inch of it's life and it’s getting very, very tedious.
39 min: Roma win a free-kick, wide on the right. Lorenzo Pellegrini sends the ball towardss the far post, where Roger Ibanez leaps to head it and misses. In the queue behind him, Chris Smalling was probably better placed to try his luck.
36 min: That’s a great finish from Dybala, who is back after a six-match absence with an ankle injury. In the immediate aftermath of the goal, referee Anthony Taylor went across to the sideline to book a Sevilla substitute and warn both benches about their poor behaviour. Fourth official Michael Oliver is being harrassed by the subs and backroom staff of both teams.
GOAL! Sevilla 0-1 Roma (Dybala 34)
Roma lead! Latching on to a Gianluca Mancini ball from deep, Paulo Dybala sprints between defenders and slots the ball past Bono into the bottom right-hand corner.
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32 min: Roma appeal for a spot-kick after Tammy Abraham ships a boot to the head from Nemamnja Guidelj as the Sevilla defender was clearing the ball. Abraham leaned down into the contact and the defender’s boot, which wasn’t especially high, connected with the ball first. No penalty.
28 min: In an interview with our own Sid Lowe a couple of months ago, Sevilla manager José Luis Mendilibar openly admitted that his team are an open book in so far as their “tactics” consist of trying to get crosses into the opposition box as often as possible. It’s what they’re doing tonight and hasn’t caused Roma any problems whatsoever thus far.
27 min: Sevilla advance up field again, Rakitic playing the ball right and wide towards Navas. The ball’s sent into the Roma penalty area, where Smalling hacks clear.
25 min: Another injury. Roma defender Roger Ibanez goes down in need of treatment after Chris Smalling had collided with him while dealing with a cross into the Roma penalty area from Jesus Navaz.
24 min: The game is getting increasingly scrappy. Now Paulo Dybala is penalised for a foul on Bryan Gil on the halfway line.
21 min: Sevilla midfielder Luis Ocampus goes down following an aeriel challenge from Nemanja Matic, who led with his arm. The former Manchester United midfielder is booked.
19 min: Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri is penalised for a shove in the back of a rival on the halfway line but protests his innocence despite being bang to rights. Anthony Taylor laughs at the cheek of it.
17 min: Sevilla advance and Roma go into full “Mourinho” mode, getting every single player behind the ball in a bid to keep them at bay. There’s another break in play so Roma right wing-back Zeki Celik can receive treatment for a head injury.
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15 min: Abraham and Spinazzola try to link up down the left touchline but the Englishman loses possession after being crowded off the ball.
13 min: That was a poor effort from Spinazzola, who was completely unmarked in the Sevilla penalty area as Celik teed him up with an inch-perfect pass. He had all the goal to aim at but shot fairly weakly and straight at the goalkeeper.
11 min: With over 10 minutes on the clock, we’ve yet to see a chance of note. Ah, hang on – Roma’s Leonardo Spinazzola sidefoots a pull-back from Zeki Celik straight at Sevilla goalkeeper Bono from 10 yards out. He should have scored!
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8 min: Sevilla win a corner, which Ivan Rakitic trots across to take. Some missiles rain down upon him from the Roma end and he goes to have a word of complaint with referee, Anthony Taylor. Quite what the official is supposed to do about it is anyone’s guess. Rakitic eventually sends the ball into the mixer, where Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio gathers comfortably.
5 min: Tammy Abraham gets in behind the Sevilla defence down by the byline and, on the stretch, hooks a bouncing ball from deep into the centre. He’s trying to pick out Paulo Dybala but the Argentinian can’t get on the end of the pass.
3 min: Both players are passed fit to continue and play resumes. Sevilla, wearing all white, advance upfield along the right flank with Jesus Navas on the ball. He sends a cross into the Roma penalty area and it’s cleared.
2 min: Sevilla concede an early corner from a throw-in. Lorenzo Pellegrini swings the ball towards the near post, trying to pick out Tammy Abraham but his delivery is a little too high. Sevilla clear and there’s a break in play so Nemanja Gudelj and Roger Ibanez can get treatment after clashing heads.
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Europa League final: Sevilla v Roma is go ...
1 min: Anthony Taylor blows his whistle and Roma get the ball rolling.
Not long now: One of the most visually arresting, downright beautiful trophies in sport has been placed on its plinth and led past it by their captains Lorenzo Pellegrini and Jesus Navas, the players of Roma and Sevilla are out on the pitch ready for the last of the pre-match formalities. Kick-off is just a few minutes away.
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An email: “Forza Sevilla (or however you say that in Spanish),” writes Justin Kavanagh. “Watching the anti-football of Mourinho has always been a right pain in the myotendinous junction of the semi-membranous muscle.”
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Mourinho in tears: Out for a pre-match stroll on the Puskas Arena pitch, Jose Mourinho returned to the dressing-room in floods of tears, presumably overcome with emotion at the reception he was given by Roma fans and not because he’s just remembered the ending of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, which invariably sets me off.
Mailbag: “I thought that after Spurs things would only get worse for Mourinho,” writes Kári Tulinius. “But things have clicked between him and Roma, both club and the fans. It’s a bit like one of those films where a curmudgeon who lives alone in a hut is shown that he can still love and be loved by the village’s new librarian or chocolatier or astronaut.”
“Spanish saffron and Italian oregano, stewing together with Hungarian paprika in a steaming cauldron,” writes Peter Oh. “What a delicious football feast for the ages! I have no idea what’s going to happen but I’m pretty sure someone’s gonna have a bad case of heartburn when all is said and done.”
Those teams: With Marcos Acuna suspended, on-loan Manchester United defender Alex Telles comes in at left-back for a Sevilla side that is skippered by Jesus Navas, who is the ripe young age of 37.
Paulo Dybala starts in attack alongside Tammy Abraham for Roma, despite concerns over his fitness. Leonardo Spinazzola also comes in at left wing-back for Roma, despite having missed their past six games.
Roma: José Mourinho says he is as motivated as ever with the Italians aiming to win a second consecutive European trophy against Sevilla. Sid Lowe reports …
Sevilla: José Luis Mendilibar has guided his team away from relegation trouble and past European giants to reach final against Roma. Yup, it’s Sid Lowe again …
Sevilla v Roma line-ups
Sevilla: Bounou, Jesus Navas, Gudelj, Bade, Alex Telles, Fernando, Rakitic, Ocampos, Torres, Gil Salvatierra, En-Nesyri.
Subs: Dmitrovic, Montiel, Rekik, Suso, Jordan, Mir, Kouassi, Lamela, Marcao, Gomez, Flores, Bueno.
Roma: Rui Patricio, Ibanez, Mancini, Smalling, Spinazzola, Cristante, Matic, Celik, Pellegrini, Dybala, Abraham.
Subs: Karsdorp, Belotti, Llorente, Camara, Wijnaldum, Bove, Zalewski, Volpato, Boer, Tahirovic, El Shaarawy, Svilar.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
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Tonight's match officials
Anthony Taylor leads a largely British team of match officials for tonight’s final, with Germany’s Bastian Dankert helping out Stuart Attwell and Chris Kavanagh behind the squinting windows of the VAR bunker.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistant referees: Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Michael Oliver
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Early team news ...
A World Cup winner with Argentina in December but the recipient of four red cards this season, Sevilla left-back Marcos Acuna misses out tonight due to suspension adter being sent off in added time of his side’s semi-final second leg win over Juventus. A summer signing from Bayern Munich, Sevilla defender Tanguy Nianzou is also a doubt, much like his fellow defender Marcao.
Informed sources report the Brazilian may still be suffering the after-affects of an injury to – deep breath – the “myotendinous junction of the semi-membranous muscle of his right leg” incurred during his team’s quarter-final second leg trouncing of Manchester United. That’s our old friend the “groin strain” for those of you who may not be as well up as you might be on human anatomy.
Concerns about Roma striker Paulo Dybala’s availability appear to have been greatly exaggerated and the Argentinian striker has been passed fit for tonight’s final by club medics despite him having missed his team’s last six matches. He’ll probably start on the bench. Left-back Leonardo Spinazzola is also expected to return in some capacity after over a month on the sidelines.
Europa League final: Sevilla v Roma
Whatever way you look at it, it seems like a coin-toss. Unbeaten in six Europa League finals, Sevilla take on a Roma team managed by José Mourinho, who has not lost any of the five European finals in which he has been involved – a matter of fact, even if he doesn’t like to talk about it too often (#eye-roll). Something has to give and somebody’s scarcely believable record will end up indelibly blemished.
Roma go into tonight’s match at Budapest’s Puskás Arena as slight favourites but this is a match that is impossible to call with any confidence. Under Mourinho, Roma finished sixth in Serie A and are seeking back-to-back continental titles after winning last season’s European Conference League. Sevilla will finish comfortably mid-table in Spain following a brief flirtation with relegation until José Luis Mendilibar, their third manager of the season, steered them away from the rocks. Kick-off in Hungary is at 8pm (BST) but stay tuned for team news and build-up.
