No way, José: something has to give in Roma and Sevilla’s Big Vase battle

After the 178 matches (including qualifiers) and 464 goals you’ve almost certainly let pass you by because you’ve better things to do on a Thursday night, now might finally be the time to start taking an interest in this season’s Big Vase. Having survived the dreaded Thursday-Sunday grind through the season, Sevilla and Roma have been rewarded with a place in tonight’s final – scheduled for the slightly more exalted European week night of Wednesday – and it could be an absolute belter. An apparently immovable Euro Vase force, Sevilla have not lost any of the six finals they have contested. If they are to win a seventh they must beat a side managed by José Mourinho, who has masterminded victory in each of the five European finals he has been involved in, but doesn’t like to talk about it.

The Roma manager was dismissed by many English experts as a busted flush, something of a dinosaur who football had left behind after underwhelming spells in charge at Manchester United and Tottenham ended in tears. It should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with his work that Mourinho has since swapped his status as tedious conspiracy theorist and pantomime villain for that of a bona fide legend among Roma fans, whose adoration of him is such that some day he could conceivably topple Francesco Totti in a popularity poll. While that might seem a tall order, winning back-to-back European pots would certainly cement his legendary status in the carmine-and-gold half of Rome and elevate him above – [slight Succession spoiler alert! – FD Ed] – the brother of Shiv, Logan and the bloke from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the pantheon of latter-day Romans who have asserted their dominance in the white-hot cauldron of battle this week.

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