It was too much for Jose Mourinho. At the full-time whistle, the 59-year-old Roma boss, whose coaching career seemed to go downhill after poor results and dressing room bust-ups cost him his jobs at both Manchester United and Tottenham, was reduced to tears after witnessing his team storm into the inaugural Europa Conference League final with a 1-0 win over Leicester City.

Roared on by over 70,000 faithful home fans packed into the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night, Roma, for whom Tammy Abraham's brilliant header made the vital difference, went through 2-1 on aggregate. 

It's quite a turnaround for the struggling club who languish in fifth place in Serie A and have missed out on the Champions League. It will be the Italian side's first European final since 1991, when they lost the UEFA Cup to Inter Milan.

"I am very emotional. This for us is our Champions League," beamed Mourinho, who became the first manager to reach the final of a major European competition with four different clubs. "Every club that I coached I made a final. That's good... When you work in Rome, live in Rome and breathe Rome, you breathe this club because it is the real club of the city.

"We managed to build an OK team that grew step by step so we could beat a Premier League [team]. Of course, I have had bigger moments than this but I am not feeling for myself, I am feeling for the people and my players." 

During an illustrious career spanning over two decades, Mourinho guided Inter Milan and Porto to Champions League trophies, before clinching the Europa League title with Manchester United in 2017. But the Portuguese tactician stressed that his stint at Roma holds a special place in his heart.

"I've had the fortune to play in bigger and more prestigious finals than this one," Mourinho told a press conference. "But in terms of the way we've created a family atmosphere here, it makes me feel special. Over the years I've become less egocentric and more like a father ... It's a victory of a family. Not just the one that was on the pitch and on the bench but also inside the stadium. That is our greatest achievement, this empathy and sense of family we have created with the fans."

After Abraham's breakthrough, Roma were happy to concentrate on defense and run down the clock. Their stout back three of Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling and Roger Ibanez repelled every wave of attacks launched by Leicester, who were desperate to make the first European final in their history.

"I think our performance was extraordinary," Mourinho observed. "Others might see it differently, but when your goalkeeper makes two saves over 120 minutes against a Premier League side with so much attacking quality, it means we've done something good."

When asked about his tears at the end, Mourinho explained, "This is a giant club without the trophy room in relation to the social dimension of the club. This is not a trophy, it's only a final, but it means a lot to them. My emotion was for them."

The final hurdle Mourinho has to overcome on the road to immortality is a much-anticipated clash with Feyenoord, who drew 0-0 with Marseille for a 3-2 aggregate win. These two outfits will chase the top prize at the National Arena in Tirana, Albania on May 25.

If Mourinho could guide Roma to the summit, he would become only the third coach in history to win three different UEFA competitions after Italian maestro Giovanni Trapattoni and German virtuoso Udo Lattek.

"The Special One" has not finished yet.