After listening to some taunts from the Juventus crowd for 90 minutes, Jose Mourinho couldn’t couldn’t stop himself from saying a few words to Juventus crowd.
Mourinho was escorted off the pitch on Wednesday after celebrating Manchester United’s 2-1 comeback win over the Italian side in the Champions League by cupping his hand to his ear to the crowd after the final whistle. The gesture sparked a small altercation with Juventus players that overshadowed one of the most important results of the season for United, which has struggled domestically but now has a great chance of reaching the knockout stage in Europe.
Mourinho said: “I came here to do my job and I was insulted for 90 minutes. I wouldn’t do that gesture again but I don’t think I offended anyone and at the time it seemed like the appropriate response to those who had insulted all my family, apart from my Inter one too.”
Mourinho is unpopular among Juventus fans after managing bitter rival Inter Milan for three years. After United’s 1-0 loss to Juventus at home two weeks ago, he responded to the goading of the Italian fans by holding up three fingers toward them, denoting the treble of titles – Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup he won with Inter in the 2009-10 season.
This time he had another win to celebrate, after watching his team fight back from Cristiano Ronaldo’s spectacular opening goal. Juan Mata leveled with a free kick four minutes from time and Alex Sandro netted an own goal in the final minute as United blew their Champions League group wide open.
Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci angrily approached Mourinho as he cupped his ear at the Bianconeri fans and the United coach was escorted off the pitch by a UEFA official and some members of his staff.
It was Juventus’ first defeat in any competition this season. Mourihno said: “When I work for a club like Manchester United I need to forget my past as in those 90 minutes I represent Manchester United. But the others didn’t forget. And it is a great joy for me because we won against a super team, and not because they are the enemy of Inter.”
