Mourinho backs himself and Van Gaal for football history

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho believes both he and Bayern Munich counterpart Louis van Gaal will join a select group of Champions League winners with two different teams, but hopes he'll be first.

The two charismatic coaches go head-to-head in the Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu with the winner joining Ottmar Hitzfeld and Ernst Happel as winners with two different clubs.

But Mourinho believes whoever losses on Saturday will still make history as a two-time winner at a later date.

"Tomorrow myself or Louis van Gaal will for sure become the third man in that group," he said.

"Hopefully, and I speak for myself and also for Louis because I saw him today and he seems to be in very good shape, if we continue in our jobs the one who doesn't do it tomorrow (Saturday) will do it in the future.

"I feel we will both join that group, one tomorrow and one later."

Mourinho won the European title with Porto in 2004 while Van Gaal triumphed with Ajax in 1995.

Despite the success of both men, Mourinho, who like Van Gaal has won titles in three different countries, admitted that he will still be nervous on the morning of the match.

"I will feel the pressure because I know myself, I know how my day before and during the event goes," said the Inter boss.

"Tomorrow morning I'll wake up and know that in a few hours we'll be playing the Champions League final.

"My heart will beat a bit faster and the temperature of my body will go up a bit and then I'll go to work and prepare the game and when I arrive at the stadium and step off the team bus, everything begins.

"That's the bit I like, my natural habitat, without pressure or tension."

Earlier in the day Van Gaal had said he felt that despite reaching the final, Inter and Bayern were still not at the same level as Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona.
But Mourinho disagreed.

"When the season starts and the Champions League starts it's normal for everyone to look around and say these are the strongest teams with the most quality and tradition and the best chances to do it," he said.

"That's why you go to the bookmakers and see there's different percentage levels of success.

"Barcelona are a super team, Real Madrid with the possibility to play the final at home were there, Manchester United got to two consecutive finals and Chelsea were in the semi-final or final four or five times in five or six seasons.

"Of course Bayern had a new team and a new coach and were not there, Inter were not there because we couldn't even reach the quarter-finals for several years.

"But step by step, this is the Champions League, it can happen and it didn't happen by chance.

"Because Inter and Bayern can both do the treble as they've won both domestic competitions.

"No doubt we are great teams and that's why we're in the final. Are other teams better than us? I dont know."

Mourinho once again batted away any speculation about his future, particularly those rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid next season.

"I don't know Real, I don't know their mentality or their philosophy, I only know their history.

"And really today not I'm not concerned with knowing it. My concern is Inter and the final."
The final will have a special significance for Inter captain Javier Zanetti who will play his 700th game for the club in a glittering nerazzurri career that began 15 years ago.
"If I think about all those games in this shirt it fills me with desire and of course playing in one as important as tomorrow night in which we could enter into history (as first Inter or Italian team to win the treble)," he said.

"It's down to lots of hard work and having faith in myself, day after day in training.

"The belief that I can do well and give my best for Inter, that's what interests me the most."