Winning the Europa Cup was a big feat under Rafael Benitez, but Jose Mourinho considers it a ‘disappointment’. The Portuguese said he believes that “last season was not good in Europe” for Chelsea.
The Blues would have wanted to defend their title as European champions last season, but lost out of the group stage of the competition to Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk, however went on to lift the Europa League in May at Benfica’s expense.
“I don’t want to win the Europa League,” Mourinho said.
“It would be a big disappointment for me. I don ‘t want my players to feel the Europa League is our competition.”
Mourinho, who lifted the Champions League in 2004 with Porto, insisted that the Champions League is one of this season’s main targets: “That’s the only European competition we have to play and that’s the European competition we have to give our best.”
In his first spell at Chelsea, ‘The Special One’ helped Chelsea lift the Premier League twice and he still wants to win more “domestic” medals.
“The most important thing in football is to be the best team in the season and try to win your domestic league,” he said.
“In our case, it’s the most important league in Europe, so we have to try and be the best team and win the Premier League.”
Mourinho said that it is Fernando Torres’s “responsibility” to make the most of Chelsea’s support as the striker bids to return to peak form.
“I will try. That’s my job. With him and with everybody else,” Mourinho told BBC Sport’s Richard Conway in Bangkok.
“But at the end of the day, we can do everything to a player but it’s up to them. It is their responsibility and Fernando has to cope with that.”
Chelsea will play Singha All Stars in Thailand, the same team that handed Moyes his first defeat as United manager. Mourinho will possibly not want to start his second coming on a sour note.
