Jose Mourinho loses first European final against Sevilla

Roma lost 4-1 on penalties

Jose Mourinho finally suffered his first loss as a manager in a European final. Sevilla broke AS Roma's hearts and handed them a 1-0 defeat in the final of the UEFA Europa League. This is the seventh European success for Sevilla. They last won the competition in the 2019-20 season. Sevilla had a poor domestic season, but they were exceptional in Europe. 

Roma made a decent start to the final match. They were looking more creative and finally made an impact in the 34th minute. Paulo Dybala scored a goal for Mourinho's men and gave AS Roma a 1-0 lead. Gianluca Mancini provided the assist for the only goal in the half. However, Sevilla almost equalised in injury and stoppage times. Their veteran midfielder, Ivan Rakitic, struck a left-footed shot from outside the penalty box. He was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post.

Sevilla made a bright start to the second half. They looked like the more hungry team and equalised in the 55th minute. Gianluca Mancini converted a cross into his own goal, and the scoreline changed to 1-1. This was the first time in 20 years that Jose Mourinho's side conceded a goal in the final match of a European competition. Sevilla were the better team in the second half. They created more chances than Roma.

The match went into extra time. Both teams tried to take the lead in the first 15 minutes. However, the game remained tight, and the half ended with the same scoreline. The second half saw a lot of stoppage in between due to injuries and cramps. After 120 minutes, the match remained 1-1 and went into extra time. AS Roma lost 4-1 on penalties.

AS Roma made a poor start to the UEFA Europa League 2022-23. They lost two of the first three games played in the group. Mourinho's men then drew a match and won their last two matches in the group. From that time on, Roma never looked down. 

After the group stage, AS Roma faced RB Salzburg, who were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League. AS Roma lost the first leg 1-0 and then made a comeback in the second leg. The team from Italy won the match 2-0 and took away the tie 2-1.

In the round of 16, Roma faced Real Sociedad. The first leg went 2-0 in favour of Mourinho's side. His defensive tactics were put to use in the second leg. The match ended goalless, and Roma advanced to the next round. 

AS Roma then faced Dutch side Feyenoord in the quarterfinals. Once again, Roma lost the first leg 1-0. In the second leg, the team registered a 4-1 win and took away the tie 4-2.

Their semifinal match was against Bayer Leverkusen. Jose Mourinho faced Xabi Alonso, who was once a player under him at Real Madrid. AS Roma won the first leg 1-0. Once again, Jose Mourinho showed his tactical masterclass in defence. Roma played a goalless draw in the second leg and advanced to the semi-finals. 

Jose Mourinho won his first European championship with Porto. In the 2002-03 season, he won the UEFA Cup. In the following season, he won the UEFA Champions League with the Portuguese club. His next European trophy was with Inter Milan. The Portuguese won his second UEFA Champions League with the Italian side in 2009-10 season.

Jose Mourinho then went on to win the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United in 2016-17. His last European triumph came with Roma. Mourinho guided them to a win in the UEFA Europa Conference League in the inaugural season. This time Mourinho's men were unable to register a win.