Back in April 2021, Daniel Levy controversially sacked José Mourinho just days before Tottenham were set to face Manchester City in the League Cup final.
It was an odd decision, as the 59-year-old has won many trophies throughout his career, and could’ve guided Spurs to the silverware.
Now, just over a year on, it seems Mourinho still hasn’t forgotten.
What’s the story?
Well, the £113,429-a-week man aimed a sly dig at Levy when speaking in his pre-match press conference, ahead of Roma’s UEFA Conference League clash with Leicester.
As quoted by the Express, Mourinho said: “I want to win the next one always, if the next one is the semi-final, even more. Of course the semi-final gives you the right to play a final – if you are not sacked before the final.”
Now, that is vintage Mourinho – the man rarely disappoints in his press conferences.
In truth, the Portuguese coach has every right to be annoyed with Levy after what happened.
Mourinho had worked hard to guide Spurs to the League Cup final, and he – at the very least – deserved a chance to finish the job.
José Mourinho could’ve brought silverware to Tottenham
Spurs haven’t won a trophy since 2008, and last season’s League Cup final represented a fantastic opportunity to end that barren spell.
You may argue that Mourinho had no chance of beating Pep Guardiola in that clash at Wembley.
However, the ex-Chelsea boss had already defeated the Spaniard earlier in that season, recording a 2-0 win over his Manchester City side in N17 thanks to goals from Heung-min Son and Giovani Lo Celso.
Mourinho also got the better of Guardiola in the 2019/20 campaign, as Tottenham beat the Citizens 2-0 in February 2020, with Steven Bergwijn scoring on his debut.
Bizarrely, Levy didn’t even have an immediate replacement lined up, and opted to let Ryan Mason take charge of the final, a man who had no managerial experience whatsoever.
In that respect, Mourinho has every right to be furious with Levy, even to this day – clearly, he does still hold a grudge.
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