Manchester United manager Mourinho would be hypocritical to complain over Tottenham’s FA Cup Wembley advantage

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Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final, with the encounter to be played at Spurs’ temporary Wembley home giving them somewhat of an advantage.

While the Wembley crowd will be split 50-50 meaning there is no advantage there, Spurs’ experience and feeling of comfort having played there all season could be a defining factor in the semi-final.

Many observers and pundits alike feel the game should be played at a ‘neutral’ ground, rather than Spurs’ temporary home, citing an unfair advantage for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

But one man who can’t have any complaints is Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, what with the Portuguese coach experiencing a similar yet even more advantageous situation in Spain.

During Mourinho’s three-year reign in charge of Real Madrid, in his last season Los Blancos reached the Copa Del Rey final where they faced off against their eternal city-rivals Atletico Madrid.

While Barcelona seemingly refused to host the final at their Nou Camp stadium, Valencia’s Mestalla should have been the designated stadium yet the game was held at the Santiago Bernabeu – presumably to accommodate supporters of both clubs.

The Bernabeu has been Real Madrid’s home since 1947, and it is a stadium Atletico had not won at since October 1999 – giving Mourinho’s side a big advantage in the final of Spain’s most prestigious cup competition.

On that occasion, however, Diego Simeone’s men triumphed 2-1 in extra time, assuring Mourinho ended his reign at the La Liga giants on a sour note.

Tottenham have not won a trophy since their League Cup triumph a decade ago, and there is a growing feeling that this is their best chance yet considering their impressive domestic form.

Pochettino’s side’s last domestic loss at Wembley this season came against West Ham United in the League Cup, while their last league defeat was back in December against leaders Manchester City.

Mourinho may feel Spurs have an unfair ‘home’ advantage, yet at the same time he only has to look at his own experience in Madrid to see how the underdogs can ultimately triumph on the day.