Jose Mourinho finally apologized to a former player years after a big Champions League moment.
Twenty years after making one of the toughest calls in his early coaching career, Jose Mourinho said sorry to one of his old players for not picking him in football’s biggest game.
In the summer of 2004, Porto shocked everyone by winning the Champions League. Deco, Dmitri Alenichev, and Carlos Alberto scored in the final against Monaco, securing a historic trophy. This was Mourinho’s last match before he left for Chelsea.
It was an amazing European run for Porto, with striker Benni McCarthy playing a key part. McCarthy scored 25 goals that season and famously netted twice in their round of 16 win over Manchester United — the first European game played at the Estadio do Dragao.
Still, McCarthy must have been surprised when Mourinho chose to start Carlos Alberto in the final instead of him. McCarthy came on in the second half and made history as the first and only South African to win the Champions League, while Alberto scored the first goal.
Mourinho clearly felt bad about leaving McCarthy on the bench. Twenty years later, he posted an apology on Instagram and shared why he made such a bold choice.
“I’m sorry @bennimac17 for leaving you on the bench, but I just had a feeling that the wild card @calberto_oficial was going to score,” he wrote.
“Missing the team bus meals. Hope we can all get together on May 26, 2029 to celebrate 25 years of this amazing story. Take care, old friends.”
There’s no hard feelings between them. McCarthy has spoken highly of Mourinho’s “unbelievable” skill in managing people.
He also opened up about how he took the news that Carlos Alberto would start instead of him in the final.
“I was a team player,” he told GOAL. “In the Champions League final, I could have said, ‘No, I want to play. I helped get us here.’ But if I had to step back, I would. I wasn’t bigger than the team or anyone else. If the manager thought this was the best move, I accepted it.
“I wasn’t happy, but I did it for the good of the team. I think that’s why Mourinho respects me — because I wasn’t selfish and didn’t make it about me.”