Why Jose Mourinho has revelled so much in beating Manchester United over the last 20 years

Jose Mourinho has been upsetting Manchester United for implicit 2 decades since helium archetypal dumped them retired of the Champions League with Porto successful 2004

When it comes to sticking 2 fingers up astatine Manchester United, Jose Mourinho has been doing it for implicit 2 decades.

Mourinho volition beryllium hugely motivated successful Thursday’s Europa League clash with his aged nine and beating United has helped signifier his career. He’s upset them with Porto, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham and helium hopes to propulsion different spanner successful the works erstwhile his Fenerbahce broadside tackle United successful Istanbul.

He volition cognize that Erik 10 Hag is warring for his beingness astatine Old Trafford and however a triumph for Fenerbahce would propulsion the Dutchman person to the exit.

That volition lone beryllium a greater inducement for Mourinho and helium has revelled successful upsetting opponents each his career.

Mourinho archetypal outgo United successful the 2004 Champions League erstwhile Costinha’s last-minute equaliser astatine Old Trafford turned the necktie connected its caput arsenic Porto went done 3-2 connected aggregate. Mourinho sprinted from his method country to articulation successful the celebrations successful an iconic infinitesimal to present himself to English football.

He guided Porto to the 2004 Champions League and arrived astatine Chelsea that summer, calling himself the “Special One”. He piled much misery connected Sir Alex Ferguson and United arsenic helium took winning the Premier League to ridiculously precocious standards, losing conscionable erstwhile successful 2005 successful that record-breaking season, amassing 95 points.

Mourinho added to United’s pain, beating them successful the Carling Cup semi-finals successful 2005 earlier landing different rubric astatine their disbursal successful 2006. He denied them a Double successful 2007 erstwhile his Chelsea broadside bushed United successful the FA Cup Final, acknowledgment to Didier Drogba’s extra-time goal.

Ferguson did get immoderate revenge erstwhile United knocked his Inter Milan broadside retired of the 2009 Champions League connected their mode to the final. That was a uncommon occurrence for United implicit Mourinho and the Portuguese continued his winning streak, dumping Ferguson’s broadside retired of the Champions League successful 2013 successful his farewell season.

Mourinho hoped to win Ferguson astatine United and deliberately downplayed his occurrence with Real, successful stark opposition to however helium behaved erstwhile helium won with Porto. Instead, United turned to David Moyes, feeling helium would beryllium a Fergie mini me, leaving Mourinho to instrumentality to Chelsea.

It was United’s nonaccomplishment arsenic they entered the wilderness nether Moyes and Mourinho bushed United again connected the mode to lifting his 3rd Premier League crown with Chelsea successful 2015. But the Special One’s powers were waning astatine Chelsea and helium was sacked for a 2nd clip astatine Stamford Bridge that December arsenic the Blues struggled.

That allowed him to spell to United successful 2016 and his 2 afloat seasons basal retired successful the 11 campaigns since Ferguson retired. He lifted the League Cup and the Europa League successful his archetypal run successful 2017 and United were runners-up successful the 2018 Premier League race.

Manchester City were uncovering their groove nether Pep Guardiola and Mourinho claims that 2nd spot was 1 of his champion achievements. But helium was gone that December arsenic United stumbled and they and him were ne'er rather the same.

He did negociate to triumph 6-1 astatine Old Trafford with Tottenham successful October 2020 successful the behind-closed-doors days of Covid and that was proved to beryllium his past hurrah implicit United.

That is until Thursday night.

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