José Mourinho believes that AS Roma has already won the Europa League, even though the second leg matches in the semi-finals are yet to be played on Thursday evening.
The 60-year-old coach of the "Giallorossi" is not in favor of the format where teams eliminated from the Champions League continue in the Europa League.
"If I didn't have the ambition to win this trophy, it would be very easy for me to say that we have already won the Europa League," Mourinho said during the press conference ahead of the reunion with Bayer Leverkusen. "If we look at the teams that actually started in the Europa League, AS Roma has already secured the prize."
Roma, who defeated Feyenoord in the quarterfinals, will defend a 1-0 lead in Leverkusen on Thursday evening. In the other semi-final, Sevilla and Juventus will face each other in Andalusia following a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Bayer Leverkusen, Sevilla, and Juventus were all eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, after which they entered the Europa League as third-placed teams in their respective groups.
The Europa League presents a prime opportunity for Roma to give their season a shine, as the ambitious club currently sits in sixth place in Serie A with only three matchdays remaining. Last season, in Mourinho's first year in Roman service, he salvaged the situation by winning the Conference League against Feyenoord after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the league.
Mourinho doesn't think about himself anymore.
Due to their European successes, Paris Saint-Germain sees Mourinho as an ideal successor to coach Christophe Galtier, who is under great pressure. 'The Special One' didn't want to dwell on this topic during the press conference.
"I don't feel like talking about my future," said the Portuguese, whose contract in Rome runs until mid-2024. "I'm not even thinking about the final because we still have a semi-final to play first. I hope we reach the final for the players and the fans, not so much for myself. Nowadays, I think more about others than myself."
