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WHAT HAPPENED?
Duff has been celebrating after seeing his Shelbourne team crowned League of Ireland Premier Division champions for the first time since 2006. The former Chelsea man was quick to phone his old manager after a 1-0 win over Derry City sealed glory but ended up losing a bet, and £500, when he didn’t pick up. Duff vowed to his players he’d “put a monkey” on the bar tab if Mourinho didn’t pick up and ended up having to shell out after his call went unanswered.
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Calling Jose after the title win 😅 pic.twitter.com/PCdvoHgCCt
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) November 2, 2024
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Getty Images SportWHAT DUFF SAID
Duff also revealed how Mourinho has played a part in his team’s win as he used quotes from the Portuguese boss to inspire his players. He said: “Absolutely. It would be mad not to tap into him. So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, there was posts on the Instagram page. Powerful lyrics, powerful words that would resonate and have a meaning to tie in for tonight. Then in the team meeting [today] there was a private message from Jose speaking about what it takes to win a title as a team, as an individual. It blew the guys away. A video that was shown in the Everglades two hours before the game.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Duff was appointed Shelbourne boss in 2021 and has finally ended his team’s long wait for a league title. The job is Duff’s first in management after a career spent playing for Blackburn, Chelsea, Newcastle and Fulham in the Premier League. The Irish star’s best spell came at Stamford Bridge where he won two Premier League titles under Mourinho.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT
Shelbourne were 25/1 rank outsiders to win the title at the start of the season and will therefore enjoy celebrating an unexpected triumph. Meanwhile, Duff will have to cough up after Mourinho left him hanging but will hope to add more titles to his collection with Shelbourne in the future.
