Chapter 884: Jorginho
With Manchester United securing their fifth consecutive Premier League title, the 2020–2021 season had officially come to an end. But for United, the journey was not yet over. One crucial match remained—the UEFA Champions League Final.
It was their fourth straight Champions League final appearance. In the past three years, they had defeated Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Chelsea Munich, becoming the first club since the tournament's 1992 reformation to win three consecutive titles.
As the highest honor in club football, the importance of this competition could not be overstated.
United had already claimed six trophies this season, but true perfection required one more victory—winning the Champions League final.
Their opponents were Chelsea, another powerhouse of modern football. The London club last lifted the trophy nine years ago, in the 2011–2012 season.
Interestingly, Chelsea's journey this season mirrored that one. Then, under Roberto Di Matteo, a mid-season managerial change transformed the team, leading to triumphs in the FA Cup and Champions League despite finishing sixth in the league.
This year, Thomas Tuchel had achieved similar resurgence—but on multiple fronts. Chelsea finished fourth in the league and reached both the FA Cup and Champions League finals.
However, in the FA Cup final two weeks earlier, they had fallen 0–1 to United at Wembley.
Now, they faced United again in the Champions League final—a clash full of tension and significance.
...
"This season's Champions League final marks the third all-English showdown in history and the first since 2019," commented one broadcaster. "Manchester United are once again part of it, tying Real Madrid's record for most same-league finals."
"As the traditional powerhouse of English football, United represent the sport's legacy and prestige. Reaching the Champions League final—and winning it three times in a row—has reestablished England's dominance. In contrast, Chelsea symbolize the new era—a modern force born in 2003 when Roman Abramovich bought the club."
"Chelsea broke United and Arsenal's hegemony in 2005, conquered Europe in 2012, and have remained a defining figure in modern football ever since. This clash is more than a match—it's the old aristocracy versus the new order, tradition against innovation. It's the past and future of English football colliding."
"I remember that rainy Moscow night in 2008–2009, the first time these two met in a Champions League final. They delivered a masterpiece. That's why I'm confident tonight's game will be just as magnificent. Get ready—it's going to be special."
...
The media coverage surrounding the match was intense. Beyond football, narratives of legacy versus ambition dominated every headline—old power versus new blood, endurance versus evolution.
Even the players couldn't escape it. Their exchanges had turned into a war of words.
When interviewed, Jorginho declared that Chelsea were not afraid of Manchester United and were tired of constant comparisons.
"We'll respond on the pitch," he stated confidently.
Since joining Chelsea in 2018 alongside Maurizio Sarri, Jorginho had been the team's midfield general, and his words reflected the sentiments of many teammates.
United, led by Mourinho, had dominated England and Europe for five straight seasons, amassing trophies at an unprecedented level. The comparisons between Chelsea and United had become constant—largely because of Mourinho's legacy at both clubs.
Media narratives often linked their stories, even when they were unrelated, frustrating the Chelsea players. Whenever United were mentioned, Chelsea inevitably followed—and vice versa.
...
After five seasons of this, Chelsea's squad had grown weary of the parallels. Every encounter with United carried a burning desire—to silence those comparisons permanently.
They wanted to crush United, on the scoreboard and in perception, to prove they were no longer in anyone's shadow.
But reality had been cruel. In those five seasons, Chelsea had beaten United only once.
Since Mourinho took charge in the summer of 2016, the two sides had met 18 times across competitions. The results: United with 15 wins, 2 draws, and just 1 loss—a near-total domination.
That single victory came back in October 2016, when Chelsea defeated United 5–2 at Stamford Bridge, ending Mourinho's nine-game winning streak in the league.
Since then, Chelsea hadn't won another.
This season's meeting was their fourth. The previous three? United won twice and drew once—2–0 at Old Trafford, 0–0 at Stamford Bridge, and 1–0 in the FA Cup final.
If Chelsea wanted to banish the "United shadow," they'd have to reverse that record decisively.
Tonight's Champions League final offered that chance: a shot at revenge for the heartbreak in Moscow 13 years ago and an opportunity to end United's historic Champions League streak.
Beating them here would be monumental.
Still, Chelsea's path to matching United's stature remained long.
...
Responding to Jorginho's comments, Bruno Fernandes—the United captain—replied sharply: "No matter the opponent, the trophy will belong to Manchester United."
When asked for his reaction to Chelsea's pre-match remarks, Bruno smiled. "Chelsea are a fine team. But United are unique. No one compares to us."
In rivalry, one must do precisely what annoys the opponent.
Chelsea hated being compared to United. So, United embraced those comparisons, deliberately feeding the tension to unsettle their rivals.
"You think you're better than us?" Bruno said later. "Let's be honest—past or present, you're not."
...
Mourinho named his strongest possible lineup for this final:
Goalkeeper David de Gea; defenders Luke Shaw, João Cancelo, Virgil van Dijk, and Victor Lindelöf; midfield featuring N'Golo Kanté and İlkay Gündoğan holding, Bruno Fernandes as playmaker; and a front three of Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappé.
Chelsea were nearly at full strength too, with Andreas Christensen returning from injury just in time to join the squad.
In Porto's Estádio do Dragão, seventeen thousand fans filled the stands—the maximum allowed under Portugal's health regulations, one-third of the stadium's capacity. Each club received six thousand tickets, with the remaining five thousand reserved for UEFA partners.
Bruno, wearing the captain's armband and United's iconic red shirt, stood tall on the field. Across from him were Chelsea's blue-clad players—and among them, his old acquaintance Jorginho.
Their rivalry dated back to Serie A, when Jorginho played for Napoli. The Verona academy graduate had established himself as a defensive midfielder and frequently faced Bruno in fierce Italian battles.
Now, years later, they were meeting again—this time on Europe's grandest stage.
As the referee's whistle echoed across the Estádio do Dragão, the Champions League final began.
(END CHAPTER)
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