Jose Mourinho has claimed Tottenham are the only club he has managed, with which he does not have a connection.
Before taking charge of Spurs, the 60-year-old Portuguese had managed Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United.
“I hope the Tottenham fans don’t get me wrong but the only club in my career where I don’t have still a deep feeling for is Tottenham,” Mourinho said.
“Probably because the stadium was empty, Covid time. Probably because Mr Levy [Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy] didn’t let me win a final and win a trophy.”
His comments came after Feyenoord boss Arne Slot ruled himself out of the running for Tottenham’s managerial position on Thursday.
Mourinho was sacked less than a week before Spurs’ Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in April 2021, which they lost 1-0 with Ryan Mason taking over as interim boss at the time.
Since then, Mourinho went on to win the inaugural Europa Conference League with Roma last season and has led the Italian side to this year’s Europa League final.
Speaking at a news conference looking ahead to the final against Sevilla on 31 May, Mourinho, asked about his future with Roma, said: “We will be connected forever, like I am with all my previous clubs, apart from Mr Levy’s club.
“It’s the only one, so after that – Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester United – all the clubs I feel a connection. Maybe people [will say] you cannot love every club – yes, I love every club.”