Mourinho recalls shock Spurs sacking days before League Cup final

José Mourinho said he was stunned to be dismissed by Tottenham just days before the 2021 League Cup final. Speaking on the Beast Mode On Podcast with Adebayo Akinfenwa, he recalled thinking: "I couldn't believe it." He described Wembley as almost empty and stressed how significant a cup would have been for players who had not yet won silverware at the club.

Mourinho said the club’s hierarchy placed greater weight on qualifying for the Champions League than on the final itself. He accepted that the Southampton league fixture was important to the owners for financial reasons, while his focus was entirely on the cup match at Wembley.

He also revealed that, with Harry Kane doubtful, he had told the board he would leave Heung-min Son on the bench if Kane could not recover. Tottenham lost the final 1-0 to Manchester City and did not lift silverware until the 2025 Europa League triumph. Mourinho went on to manage Roma, Fenerbahçe and Benfica before returning to Real Madrid on a three-year contract.

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