Mourinho: We need to make the most of this semi-final chance

Thursday's first leg takes place at the King Power Stadium, with kick-off at 21:00 CEST (20:00 local time).

Here's what Mourinho had to say ahead of the contest...

Have you spoken to your friend Claudio Ranieri about this game – a man who won an amazing Premier League title here in Leicester?

“We’re friends, yes, but we haven’t spoken about this game. I’ve always said it: many people have won the Premier League more times than him; Ferguson, Wenger, Klopp, Guardiola. Ranieri has only won it once, but his is the most special of all of them.

“That’s why he is a hero in this city and at this stadium. I played here that season and I remember it as an incredible story in Premier League history. So that’s why, even if Claudio isn’t here – or at least I don’t think he is – you are right that this is a special place for him.

“He is a Roma fan, from Rome, and this will surely be a special game for him. If he’s not here, maybe he will be next week - and then it will surely be a special feeling for him.”

Last time you reached a final (with Tottenham) you weren’t allowed to manage in it. So are you are a bit worried about winning this one?

“No, I don’t have any fear – I hope that we are able to win it. I believe that Roma, as both a club and as a team, and my players and all those who work in the club deserve to reach the final for the great work we have done to try and improve the club across the board. Unfortunately at times football does not give you what you deserve and to reach the final we have to beat a very good side, with a great coach and great players. We will have to be at our best for both games.

“In all of my long career, among the many things that have happened to me both good and bad, to not be able to lead the Spurs team out for that final is something unique. But I have to say that [Tottenham chief] Daniel Levy is a pretty unique character in football.”

In terms of your relationship with Brendan Rodgers, it has been said that you don’t share the same ideas about the game. Is there really such a big difference in your views?

“What I can say is that we worked together at Chelsea, we enjoyed working together, we are friends – although obviously football has taken us in different directions. Having said that, whenever we are not playing against each other then I want the best for him – 100%. He’s a great coach, a smart guy, with a great future ahead of him. He’s done well so far and I wish him only the best.

“He’s worked in different clubs to me with different players to me. At the end of the day the key thing is that I have won a lot in my career and he, in a shorter career than me to date, has won titles in Scotland and in England; he’s won the Community Shield and taken the team to the Champions League. He’s done great work.”

What are your feelings ahead of this game? What does it feel like to be returning to England for you?

“If I am not wrong, we will be playing our 13th game in the Conference League tomorrow. We started off the competition against a side that I immediately said would win the Turkish league. And they have won it with ease. Trabzonspor were immediately a tough opponent. Now we are in a key phase of the competition.

“Leicester are a Europa League side. And to get into the Europa League, from the Premier League, you have to be a really good side. That’s why this is not their competition – it’s our competition. It’s our 13th game. We’ve had to battle a lot, we’ve had to travel a lot, and we’ve paid for that by dropping points in Serie A – because we’ve been playing on Thursday and Sunday. We deserve to be higher.

“We have two ways of qualifying for the Europa League next season – finishing fifth in the league or winning the cup. But, of course, we could also not achieve either. This puts pressure, responsibility and doubt on our shoulders. Leicester don’t have that problem right now. They will finish between eight and 10th in the league. They can’t qualify for the Europa League that way. But we are in the hunt. It’ll be tough, but it’s a moment to be fired up for too.”

Is there a difference between the fifth-placed team in Serie A and the 10th-placed side in the Premier League? Are Roma better than Leicester? Is there a favourite for this tie?

“I’ve reached the semi-final of competitions many times in my career. Beyond the names and the potential, I always say the same thing. The sides have a 50% chance of reaching the final and a 25% chance of winning the whole thing. And that doesn’t change now. The first time I reached the semi-finals, if I’m not wrong, it was 2002-03. And 20 years have not changed my opinion.

“I’m not interested in whether they are stronger than us or we are stronger than them. But I understand what you are saying. There are two games, it’s a semi-final. There’s a lot of hard work behind successful football teams, but also economic potential. You can only go so far on hard work alone: good coaches, good players, good club … but there is a limit that only money can get you beyond. We are a good side and we are improving.

“We lost 3-0 against Inter, then we lost 3-1. Two similar scorelines but there was a vast difference in terms of how we played, our attitude, our performance. Beyond where we finish in the league, or whether or not we win the Conference League, we are a team on a path that I like – that coaches like us would be positive about.”

Will you start Nicolo Zaniolo and Tammy Abraham in attack tomorrow like you did against Bodo/Glimt?

“I understand your question but I don’t want to answer it. I am sure Brendan knows how we will play, but I don’t know how they will play. What I can say is that we won 3-0 against Lazio with a less attacking side, and we won 4-0 against Bodo with a different setup.

“The good thing for me is that everyone is available. That gives us the option to play however we want. We have a substitutes’ bench that offers us options – but I don’t want to say more than that. If you tell me that in tomorrow’s game we will play in order to give us a chance to get to the final in the second leg, then I would disagree. We will play tomorrow’s game to try and win.

“If we lose, as we lost the first leg against Bodo, then we will see what we are capable of doing in the second leg. Perhaps Leicester will make it hard for us to play a certain way, but our aim tomorrow is not just to go out and get a respectable result for the second leg.”

Is there such a big difference between Italian teams and English ones?

“I think that’s the beauty of European football. When I started playing in European competitions, when I was working with Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, I think that even 20 years on from that the same principles applied. What really makes the difference is the quality of players you have. At the moment, in Italy there are not many sides who can compile a squad of players like the English clubs can.

“Liverpool progressed against Inter Milan [in the Champions League] and should have done. If we look at Leicester, we just need to look at their attacking options. They have seven or eight of them. From Jamie Vardy to Patson Daka, so many great players. And that’s talking about Leicester City – not Manchester City or Manchester United. But we can also do things from a tactical perspective that can make life difficult for teams that perhaps have more quality at their disposal. It’s an open game and we are here to play. Next week there will be lots of fans at the Olimpico.”

A year on from the announcement you would take over as Roma boss, would you have been happy to be where you are now?

“Of course. When you talk about the difference between the Champions League and the Conference League, I said from the off that the Conference was now my competition. I’m not coaching in the Champions League, but the Conference League. Maybe Brendan doesn’t feel the same – maybe for him it was the Europa League. In August we were in Turkey to play Trabzonspor and now we are playing our 13th game in the competition. This is our competition.

“Now we are here but, as I said, we’ve lost games as a result of this competition. Why did Fiorentina lose to Udinese today? Udinese are good, but Fiorentina have done what they’ve never done before – played four games in the space of two weeks. And you pay for that by dropping points. But teams with 30 players of the same ability on their squad don’t drop those points. Teams like us, like Fiorentina, we pay with lost points. Maybe we could have been higher up the Serie A table. But that’s why we need to make the most of this semi-final chance and fight to reach the final.”

This is Roma’s third European semi-final in five years - does that say something about this club?

“Yes, it’s something positive. Credit to the club, to the coaches, to the players involved. It’s always an achievement to reach a semi-final. It shows that the team is motivated, that the fans know how to motivate their team. But, as I always say, if you don’t reach the final then in the end getting to the semi-final doesn’t count for too much.”