UEFA Europa League final: Jose Mourinho chasing history as Roma takes on undefeated Sevilla in title clash
May 31, 2023
Budapest [Hungary], May 31 : Sevilla and Roma will face off in the final of the UEFA Europa League 2022-23 at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, with Jose Mourinho, the Roma boss, chasing history as he aims to become the first manager in sports' history to win this competition with three different teams.
For Roma, this match is their second European final in successive years, with their last title clash being the UEFA Europa Conference League against Feyenoord, which they won.
Mourinho has already won this competition with Porto back in the 2002-03 season and Manchester United in the 2016-17 season. Another title win with Roma will make him the first manager to clinch this title with three different sides, as per Olympics.com.
In order to go to the final, the Italian club placed second in Group C. Roma defeated RB Leipzig in the playoffs before defeating Real Sociedad in the round of 16. They defeated Feyenoord in the quarter-finals before defeating Bayer Leverkusen in the final.
Currently sixth in the Italian league and out of contention for a place in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24, Roma's victory against Sevilla in the Europa League final will drive them directly into Europe's best club competition the following year.
Sevilla is heading into the final as the most successful team in the history of the tournament, having won the title six times in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020 editions. They are yet to lose a final in this tournament.
Despite local difficulties, Sevilla defeated European behemoths Manchester United and Juventus on their road to the Europa League final. Sevilla, who are now 11th in La Liga, will hope to end the season on a high note with another European trophy under their belt and their undefeated streak in UEL finals intact.
Sevilla and Roma have only met once on the European stage before. In the lone head-to-head match in the Europa League 2019-20 round of 16, the La Liga team won 2-0. Because of COVID-19, only one leg was played that year instead of the normal two legs.
