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Mourinho not 'superstitious' as Roma look for 1st UEFA final victory
Sports Scene's Jiang Mengxi
Roma's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho talks to a reporter on the eve of the UEFA Europa Conference League final between AS Roma and Feyenoord, Tirana, Albania, May 24, 2022. /CFP

Roma's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho talks to a reporter on the eve of the UEFA Europa Conference League final between AS Roma and Feyenoord, Tirana, Albania, May 24, 2022. /CFP

Italian side AS Roma trained on Tuesday, a day before they will take on Dutch outfit Feyenoord in Tirana, Albania to determine who will become the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League champions.

Jose Mourinho's Roma go in search of their first victory in a UEFA final, having previously lost in the 1984 European Cup and 1991 UEFA Cup showpieces.

The final marks Roma's only chance of silverware this season. They will be spearheaded by Tammy Abraham in attack and captained by the inspirational Lorenzo Pellegrini.

A victory would see Mourinho win a fourth European competition with four different clubs, with the Portuguese having already won the 2003 UEFA Cup and 2004 UEFA Champions League with FC Porto, the 2010 UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan, and the 2017 UEFA Europa League with Manchester United.

"The support of the fans can only do good and not bad at all. If AS Roma lost any final in the past with fans at the Stadio Olimpico watching the match on the big screens then, for sure, it was not their fault. I am not a superstitious person. So, to give you an example, I have been asked today (Tuesday) if we were going to play with our current kit or with next season's (kit), and I replied that I did not want to know. I do not really care. I am not superstitious," said Mourinho at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

Feyenoord players train before the UEFA Europa Conference League final, Tirana, Albania, May 24, 2022. /CFP

Feyenoord players train before the UEFA Europa Conference League final, Tirana, Albania, May 24, 2022. /CFP

On the other side, Feyenoord booked their place in the Europa Conference League final after a hard-fought semi-final victory over French team Marseille, and will now aim to make it four wins from as many European finals after each of their previous three saw them bring a trophy back home to Rotterdam.

Since sealing their place in the showpiece, Feyenoord went on to finish third in the Dutch Eredivisie.

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