Tottenham Hotspur head coach Jose Mourinho halted his press conference ahead of his side’s Premier League game against Manchester United on Sunday to pay tribute to His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away on Friday morning.
Mourinho, who revealed he has huge respect for the Royal Family, says he feels sad following the demise of one of British’s greatest personalities.
A statement from Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Duke had passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday. He was the longest-serving consort in the British royal family’s history and was married to Queen Elizabeth II for over 70 years.
The Portuguese coach has spent almost 17 years since he was introduced to English football as Chelsea manager in the summer of 2004 and he knows what the Royal Family means to the country.
“I want to express my condolences to the Royal family,” said the former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Manchester United head coach in his press conference.
“To be very honest, I have a deep, deep, deep respect for the Royal family. All my condolences. It’s not just this country sharing this feeling.
“I have the utmost respect. I feel sad for the departure of Prince Philip on a personal basis, because I have only positive feelings for the meaning of the family. I feel very sorry, but unfortunately this is life and we have to keep going.”
