Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho allows himself a small smirk as he is handed the EFL Cup trophy by Paul Pogba
Jose Mourinho joins the League Cup legends, the Premier League has a new card-collecting enforcer – and is Tony Pulis hitting the peak of his powers?
Jose Mourinho’s insatiable appetite for silverware shows no sign of abating as the Portuguese claimed the 19th major trophy of his career in Manchester United’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Southampton in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
The competition’s detractors may quibble about the League Cup being branded a ‘major’ trophy but Mourinho has always appeared to respect its challenge, equalling the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough with four victories.
Here’s a breakdown of Mourinho’s 19 major trophies, excluding one-off matches between the previous season’s domestic league and cup winners, such as England’s Community Shield:
| Jose Mourinho’s 19 major trophies | |
| Competition | Season |
| Primeira Liga | 2002-03, 2003-04 |
| Taca de Portugal | 2002-03 |
| Europa League (as Uefa Cup) | 2002-03 |
| Champions League | 2003-04, 2009-10 |
| Premier League | 2004-05, 2005-06, 2014-15 |
| FA Cup | 2006-07 |
| League Cup / EFL Cup | 2004-05, 2006-07, 2014-15, 2016-17 |
| Serie A | 2008-09, 2009-10 |
| Coppa Italia | 2009-10 |
| La Liga | 2011-12 |
| Copa del Rey | 2010-11 |
While the Premier League is realistically out of their grasp this season, the Red Devils remain in contention in the FA Cup and Europa League, so we could see Mourinho clutching his 20th trophy before the year is out.
Perhaps more surprisingly for such a storied club, this Wembley triumph saw the ‘Special One’ become the first manager in Manchester United’s history to win a major trophy in his first season in charge.
And if Mourinho cut an oddly subdued figure after the game then perhaps the perfectionist in him was smarting as an impressive defence record ended – not since the 4-0 humbling at Chelsea in October have United conceded more than one goal in a game in any competition.
