After his pre-match press conference at Valdebebas ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan, José Mourinho was approached by Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri, who handed him a garden sprinkler. Mourinho accepted the gift with a smile, shook Palmeri’s hand and walked away.
The gift was a nod to the second leg of the 2010 Champions
League semi-final at Camp Nou. Having won the first leg 3–1, Mourinho’s Inter lost 1–0 that night but advanced 3–2 on aggregate, eliminating Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. At the final whistle, Mourinho raced onto the pitch to celebrate with his players. Camp Nou staff turned on the sprinklers in an attempt to cut the celebrations short, creating one of the most iconic images of his career: Mourinho celebrating as water sprayed around him.
Despite his fond memories with Inter, Mourinho is fully focused on Real Madrid. Inter is now led by his former player Cristian Chivu. The Real Madrid boss said he loves Chivu, but greetings are reserved for before and after the game only. During the game, Mourinho is locked in for Real Madrid only.
