For four consecutive European club finals, no player had managed to score past a Jose Mourinho team. That is until Gianluca Mancini, the Special One's own player, came along.
Roma entered the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday with one objective and one objective only: to beat Sevilla to the prestigious title. The Serie A outfit lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy a year earlier and were looking to make it back-to-back continental silverware.
And after only 34 minutes, the Giallorossi took a huge step towards becoming champions, with Paulo Dybala breaking the deadlock and handing the Italian side the crucial opening goal. While the score line remained 1-0 until half time, the Spanish club swiftly found the equalizer in the second half courtesy of a helping hand from Gianluca.
10 minutes into the second half, Roma's Italian defender scored an own goal to hand En-Nesyri and Co. a lifeline. Albeit unintentionally, Mancini knocked a cross from the opposition past Rui Patricio and into the back of his own net. Watch this poor error in the clips below (videos are geo-restricted).
AN OWN GOAL BRINGS SEVILLA BACK INTO THE TIE!
— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 31, 2023
IT'S THE FIRST TIME A GOAL HAS BEEN SCORED AGAINST A JOSE MOURINHO SIDE IN A UEFA FINAL SINCE 2003... pic.twitter.com/KKCRKbkhYE
Disaster for Roma... the perfect response for Sevilla!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) May 31, 2023
Gianluca Mancini puts the ball in his own net levelling the score... #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/9rJ3TXahQd
And just like that, the 27-year-old set a horrible record. For four consecutive European club finals, no player had scored past Mourinho's defense but that 20-year run has finally came to an end. The last man to get on the scoresheet against a Jose team in a European final prior to Mancini was Henrik Larsson way back in 2003.
Gianluca Mancini is the first player to score against a José Mourinho side in a European club tournament final since Henrik Larsson in 2003.
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) May 31, 2023
And he plays for José Mourinho's team. #UELfinal
The Celtic icon grabbed a brace two decades ago against Mourinho's Porto when the Scottish giants locked horns with the Dragons in the UEFA Europa League final – then known as the UEFA Cup. Since then, the Special One crossed paths with Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Ajax, and Feyenoord while maintaining his clean sheet record but it is sadly his own player who ended that streak.
Both teams came close to scoring a second goal during normal time but failed, meaning the 2022/23 UEFA Europa League final went into extra time. Mancini will be hoping his own goal won't cost his team this title and a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League.
![]() | Real Madrid | Sep 27 1:00pm | Las Palmas | ![]() |
![]() | Barcelona | Sep 29 3:00pm | Sevilla | ![]() |
![]() | Manchester United | Sep 30 10:00am | Crystal Palace | ![]() |
![]() | AFC Bournemouth | Sep 30 10:00am | Arsenal | ![]() |
![]() | RB Leipzig | Sep 30 12:30pm | Bayern München | ![]() |
![]() | Girona | Sep 30 12:30pm | Real Madrid | ![]() |
![]() | Tottenham Hotspur | Sep 30 12:30pm | Liverpool | ![]() |
![]() | Fulham | Oct 2 3:00pm | Chelsea | ![]() |
![]() | Napoli | Oct 3 3:00pm | Real Madrid | ![]() |
![]() | Lens | Oct 3 3:00pm | Arsenal | ![]() |