Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Mourinho nemesis comes to Premier League after inspiring Spurs "attitude" attack

mirror.co.uk, 27 January 2022, 14:58
Tottenham slumped to a new low under Jose Mourinho when they were beaten 3-0 by Dinamo Zagreb to crash out of the Europa League last season, and the man responsible is heading to England

It seemed like it was over then and there for Jose Mourinho, but incredibly he managed to last another month.

When the Portuguese saw his Tottenham side surrender a comfortable looking 2-0 first leg lead in the last-16 of last season's Europa League to initially be dragged to half-time by Dinamo Zagreb, and then beaten, there was only one direction he was going to vent his fury in.

The players had to take cover.

"They [Dinamo] left sweat, energy, blood, tears of happiness at the end of the game," he said. "Very humble, very committed.

"On the other side was my team - I am there - that didn't look like they were playing an important match.

"To me it's an important match, for the respect of my own career and my own job every match is an important match for me, and I believe that for every Tottenham fan at home every match matters, and another attitude is needed.

"To say that I feel sad is not enough, because what I feel goes much further than sadness. I just left Dinamo dressing room where I went there to praise the guys, and I feel sorry that one team that is not my team won the game based on attitude."

It was a reflective, dare we even say it humble Mourinho who seemed beaten and downtrodden by the loss, a defeat which he knew would stand as a stain on his proud European record as a manager.

But what can be the nadir for one man can always be the high point for another, and it was the name of Mislav Orsic which was on the lips of everyone associated with Dinamo after one of the very best results in the club's history.

Having come into the contest rocked by the news by coach Zoran Mamic had been sentenced to prison for fraud in between the first and second legs, Dinamo had looked to be heading out when Tottenham's two-goal first leg lead remained intact with over an hour of the contest gone.

Enter Orsic.

First he cut inside from the left and smashed past Hugo Lloris to pull a goal back, and then eight minutes from the end of normal time he levelled the scores.

The stage was now set, and when he lashed home the winner at the start of the second half of extra-time the Croatian capital erupted.

And now Mourinho's nemesis looks to be getting a crack at the Premier League.

The 29-year-old - who is a 14-time Croatia international - is on the cusp of a move to Burnley before the closure of the January transfer window, and Sean Dyche will be adding an exciting attacking outlet to his side.

He's already had even more experience of punishing Premier League sides too, with his solitary strike at a rotated West Ham last month earning another Europa League win which secured qualification for the knockout stages.

It looks like Orsic will be swapping those for Turf Moor though, and Mourinho knows what damage he can do.

Top News

11 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Ross County, aiming to extend their lead over the relegation zone, are set to face Scottish Premiership league leaders Celtic at the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk A place in the quarter-finals of the Taca de Portugal will be up for grabs when Gil Vicente and Moreirense go head to head at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos on Sunday evening. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is reportedly wanted by Inter Milan in a deal that could help the Gunners pull off a blockbuster move for AC Milan's Theo Hernandez. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk NAC Breda and Heerenveen will draw the curtain on round 18 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season with a meeting at the Rat Verlegh Stadion on Sunday afternoon. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams that could really do with a victory in round 18 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie campaign will do battle at Euroborg on Sunday as Groningen entertain the challenge of Almere City. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United winger Antony has reportedly turned down the chance to join Olympiacos, as the Brazilian attacker is favouring a switch to a La Liga club instead. 10 January 2025 talksport.com Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, talkSPORT understands. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao has refused to rule out a January move for unsettled Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Casa Pia and Rio Ave will be looking to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the Taca de Portugal when they go head to head at the Estadio Pina Manique on Sunday. 10 January 2025 talksport.com Ian Wright was left fuming by a hugely controversial decision in Aston Villa's FA Cup third round win over West Ham. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Relegation-threatened Montpellier HSC will be searching for their first victory in six Ligue 1 matches when they host Angers at the Stade de la Mosson in Sunday's gameweek 17 clash. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose will hope to leave the rumours of his potential dismissal behind in 2024, and start 2025 with a win in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen at home on Sunday at Red Bull Arena. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly reached an agreement with Lens to sign defender Abdukodir Khusanov. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sivasspor will look to arrest their alarming slide when they host Alanyaspor in round 19 of the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday. 10 January 2025 talksport.com Graham Potter made history in Friday night's FA Cup clash at Aston Villa. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams aiming to recover from disappointing league defeats in their opening games of 2025 face off on Sunday, as Trabzonspor host Antalyaspor in a Turkish Super Lig encounter. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea youngster Sam Rak-Sakyi has reportedly attracted the interest of Championship outfit Coventry City. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Undefeated Galatasaray travel to the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Sunday to take on Istanbul Basaksehir, aiming to maintain their unbeaten run and extend their lead at the top of the Turkish Super Lig. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brazilian giants Palmeiras have supposedly been offered the opportunity to sign Arsenal midfielder Jorginho, who is weighing up an early exit from North London. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk After clinching the Trophee des Champions last Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain return to Ligue 1 action this weekend as they welcome Saint-Etienne to the Parc des Princes. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have apparently turned down a proposal from Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Renato Veiga during the January transfer window. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arguably the pick of the matches in the Eredivisie this weekend will come from Stadion Feijenoord, where Feyenoord will be playing host to FC Utrecht on Sunday afternoon. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk An out-of-form Reims side will once again go in search of their first win of 2025 when they welcome European hopefuls Nice to the Stade Auguste-Delaune in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 10 January 2025 talksport.com West Brom are close to appointing Raphael Wicky as their new boss, talkSPORT understands. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City welcome League Two side Salford City to the Etihad Stadium for a third-round tie in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Palmeiras have supposedly turned down Manchester City's opening approach for highly-rated centre-back Vitor Reis, but the Premier League champions remain confident of striking an agreement. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Premier League strugglers Southampton host Swansea City this weekend, as the two sides square off in the third round of the FA Cup. 10 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk League One outfit Stockport County travel to Selhurst Park this weekend, hoping to upset the odds against Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup. 10 January 2025 talksport.com A phone call from Cesc Fabregas was enough for Maxence Caqueret to turn down Premier League interest in favour of a move to Como. 10 January 2025 talksport.com Mikel Arteta wants to put an end to ball-gate right now.