Maybe he was trying to justify his team, but knowing Mourinho, he was surely criticizing Manchester City's misfortune this season.
Speaking in Wednesday's pre-match press conference, The Special One had a special dig prepared for Pep Guardiola's team when asked about Manchester United's chances of success in the all-important Manchester Derby. Mourinho referred to the Sky Blues as the favorite to win on Thursday, mainly due to one simple issue.
"They're the favorites, especially because they're not playing in Europe, like us. They are only playing one game a week nowadays, and we're still playing the Europa League semis, which will be tough. It's going to be hard for us to get there, but we will surely try," Mourinho stated.
The former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager downplayed the relevance of yet another duel against nemesis, Pep Guardiola, hinting that all that matters will be winning the derby to reach the goals they set when the season began.
"At this point, our rivalry is pointless. If they finish 5th and we end up in 6th, it doesn't matter. But if they finish 3rd and we finish in 4th, that will mean a lot (referring to the UCL play-off). It's about your team's goals and how you get to them. At least we have two ways of playing the tournament we want to play next season, which is the UEFA Champions League," the coach added.
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