Jose Mourinho gave his own take on a bizarre situation that arose following a seemingly simple sponsorship announcement by Tottenham Hotspur. Eventually, Mourinho chose to answer the question despite his press officer’s concerns that he should see it first before commenting.
Jose Mourinho said: “I don’t know what you are speaking about but maybe it is an amazing strategy move. Maybe if I am going to criticise something and then I realise it was a strategic commercial or situation, then I would be in a bad position. I don’t know, but in any case, it is not a football-related thing and I don’t know.”
Tottenham could find themselves in the UEFA Europa Conference League next season, a new third level competition with one place for an English side, which goes to the Carabao Cup winner or if they have already qualified for European competition it passes down to those in the Premier League standings, potentially as far down as eighth depending on who wins what.
Jose Mourinho admitted: “[We would treat the Conference League] as we treat every competition. Every competition we try to win every match and of course we don’t. We never thought we were going to do that, but since the beginning of the season, this season, we try to treat every competition the same way. So I don’t see any reason not to treat the competitions with the same respect. If the dimension of the club and prestige of the club is bigger than let’s say the level or the prestige of any competition then I still feel it is the responsibility of the club to respect the competition and to bring to the competition probably the credit or the prestige that at that moment, the competition does not have. So I think it is this, you have to respect every competition you are involved in.”
