The Mourinho gesture rival had 'never witnessed before'
Jose Mourinho and sportsmanship don't always go hand-in-hand but a wonderful gesture from the Manchester United manager left a rival player in awe.
The Portuguese manager's side had just been knocked out of the EFL Cup after a shock 2-1 defeat to Bristol City in the quarter-finals.
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Unsurprisingly, Mourinho wasn't in much of a mood to speak to the media afterwards - reportedly only answering one journalist during the post-match press conference.
But according to Bristol defender Bjorgvin Magnusson, the often surly Red Devils manager defied his foul mood and showed his true class by venturing in to the opposition change rooms to offer his congratulations.
"This [the atmosphere] is something I've never witnessed before," Magnusson said.
"After the game, Mourinho came to our dressing room, praised us for the performance, congratulated us and wished us good luck in the tournament.
"I think the things he said in the interviews after the game were more a reflection of him in his role as a manager, not as a person."
Socceroo Bailey Wright captained the unfancied Bristol to the stunning last-gasp upset over United to book a date with Manchester City in the semi-finals of the competition.
City went ahead through a Joe Bryan thunderbolt in the 51st minute that left goalkeeper Sergio Romero with no chance.
Bryan was played into the box before unleashing an unstoppable left-footed strike rocketing into the top corner of the goal for a shock lead.
That advantage only lasted seven minutes though as Zlatan Ibrahimovich marked his return to United's starting XI by equalising for the Red Devils with a superb free-kick.
Midfielder Korey Smith's 93rd-minute goal handed the Robins a 2-1 win at home, sparking absolute chaos as fans jumped for joy in the stands before rushing onto the field to celebrate with players after full-time.
As Smith's strike hit the back of the net, Bristol manager Lee Johnson ran down the sideline with delight before picking up a nearby ballboy and twirling him around a number of times.
The scenes of absolute joy for the minnow side will undoubtedly go down as one of the most beautiful sporting moments of 2017.
"They were absolutely outstanding to a man and to beat Manchester United at home is incredible," Johnson said.
"It's been a long, long time since we've had a result like that, particularly at Ashton Gate, and I'm chuffed. Chuffed to bits.
"Korey Smith was dying on his feet. The lads didn't want to go into extra time. The lads managed to get it to him in the box and a great little finish."
Bristol will meet Manchester City over two legs on January 9 and 23, while Arsenal and Chelsea will contest the English Football League competition's other semi-final.
With agencies