Actual Madrid boss Jose Mourinho was bizarrely handed a sprinkler by a journalist at a press convention forward of his aspect’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan.
Mourinho returned to the Bernabeu for a second spell this summer season, 13 years after his first stint ended.
His preliminary arrival at Actual in 2010 adopted a massively spectacular two years with Inter, the place Mourinho led them to the Champions League title within the 2009-10 season.
And, forward of Mourinho arising in opposition to the Italian aspect in his first European recreation since coming again to his former membership, Italian reporter Tancredi Palmeri gave the Particular One a reminder of considered one of his most iconic nights at Inter.
Throughout the aforementioned profitable European run, they beat Barcelona 3-2 on mixture within the semi-finals.
Following the second leg of that tie – which Inter misplaced 1-0 – Mourinho famously celebrated by sprinting throughout the Nou Camp together with his arms within the air earlier than he joined his group for additional festivities on the pitch.
Jose Mourinho was handed a sprinkler by a journalist forward of Actual Madrid vs Inter Milan
Mourinho celebrates after Inter’s semi-final victory over Barcelona within the 2009-10 season
As they celebrated, the sprinklers had been turned on, but Inter’s gamers continued to take pleasure in themselves regardless of being soaked in a second that has change into massively iconic within the competitors’s historical past.
As Palmeri handed Mourinho the sprinkler, which was wrapped in a blue ribbon, to remind him of that evening, the Portuguese coach shook arms with the reporter and seemed to be amused on the reward.
Palmeri had earlier stated on TV: ‘The mission may be very troublesome, virtually unattainable, to get a present to Mourinho. It is troublesome, however we’ll attempt.’
He ultimately gave Mourinho the sprinkler on the finish of the press convention.
Throughout the semi-final tie 16 years in the past, Inter produced a defensive masterclass to solely concede as soon as in opposition to Lionel Messi and Co to safe their spot within the last, the place they went on to beat Bayern Munich 2-0.
Reflecting on that memorable evening years later in 2019, Mourinho shared the secrets and techniques behind it.
‘There was a mix of concepts, however mainly every little thing was round not letting Messi play,’ he advised the Coaches’ Voice in 2019.
‘In Italy they had been utilizing the phrase “Gabbia”. I feel the actual translation is sort of a jail for Messi.
‘As a result of in the long run we did not play man-to-man, however (Javier) Zanetti, (Thiago) Motta, (Esteban) Cambiasso, all people was liable for any place that Messi may go.’
