Rui Patrício was José Mourinho’s first major signing when he took over at Roma last summer. The 34-year-old rewarded the coach’s faith by anchoring his side on their journey to the UEFA Europa Conference League final.
The former Sporting CP and Wolves number 1 won UEFA EURO 2016 and the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League with Portugal, but this is his first major international club final. As he tells UEFA.com, he would like to mark it by helping Roma win their first UEFA competition trophy.
On the latest Feyenoord opponents
Feyenoord are a very well organized team and they have very good players who can definitely make a difference. When we prepare the game, we will look at these players, all their strengths, their weaknesses too, and we will try to exploit them.
It will be a grand finale. We know we’re going to face a great team who also had a great campaign, so we’re going to do everything to win it. That’s what we have to do and that’s what we have done: we have to work hard like we do every day to be at our best.
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On working under Jose Mourinho at Roma
Do I still think José Mourinho is the best coach in the world? My opinion is stronger. It was an incredible learning year. It was great to work with coach Mourinho, no doubt all we do and all we fight for is to win, that’s why we managed to reach a European final. I am in the European final for the first time in a club. I’m definitely very happy and I want to continue learning from him.
I was his first recruit, but when I arrived here I knew what I was going to do and how I was going to do it, which is to give everything as I have always done in clubs for which I have played. I will never change that and I will continue to work as hard as I can and give my best for the team. And that’s all; that’s what I have to do. I’m a professional footballer so I always have to give my all.
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On the excitement of playing the final
This is the first European final that I have played in a club. It’s really something to be proud of because it’s always been one of my main goals – to reach the finals, especially the European finals. Since the beginning of the season, we have always aimed to reach the final. When we play in a competition, whatever it is, we must do everything to win it.
We have reached a European final. It’s a very good thing and every player’s dream, but next year we have to fight for new trophies. That’s what drives us and that’s what needs to happen. We are in a high-level sport in a club that has all the conditions to compete for titles, and that must be our daily objective. We must always work our best to make this happen.
On the prospect of Roma winning a maiden UEFA competition title
I think it gives us more motivation but also a greater responsibility because we are at a club where we have to win. We have to do our best, we have to fight for the club and for the fans, and that’s what we have to keep in mind. Each player knows his responsibility; he knows what he has to do because we are professionals. We know this is very important for the fans and for the club, and we will do everything we can to win this trophy because they really deserve it.
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