Jose Mourinho gives 12-minute rambling defence of United record

The Portuguese manager – repeating the phrase "football heritage" throughout – spoke almost uninterrupted during an astonishing press conference in the wake of his side’s 2-1 aggregate defeat to the Spanish side.

Mourinho was heavily criticised for his side’s negative approach in the last-16 tie, which saw his side’s luxury attacking options seemingly shackled by his tactics.

The 55-year-old, who clutched some notes as he spoke, said that United’s failure in Europe was "nothing new for the club" as he reminded supporters of United’s performances since 2011.

"I say to the fans that the fans are the fans and have the right to their opinions and reactions. But there is something that I used to call football heritage. I don't know if, I try to translate from my Portuguese, which is almost perfect, to my English, which is far from perfect, football heritage," he said.

"And what a manager inherits is something like the last time Manchester United were in the Champions League final which didn't happening lot of times, was in 2011. Since 2011, 2012, out in the group phase, the group was almost the same group we had this season, Benfica, Basel and Galati from Romania.

"In 2013 out at Old Trafford in the last 16, I was on the other bench. In 2014, out in the quarter-finals. In 2015, no European football. In 2016, comes back to European football, out in the group phase, goes to Europa League and [out] on the second knockout out of the Europa League. In 2017, play Europa League, win Europa League with me and go back to Champions League. In 2018, win the group phase with 15 points out of a possible 18 and loses at home in the last 16.

"So in seven years with four different managers, once not qualify for Europe, twice out in the group phase and the best was the quarter-final, this is football heritage. And if you want to go to the Premier League, the last victory was 12-13 and in the four consecutive seasons United finish seventh, fourth, fifth and sixth. So in the last four years the best was fourth.

"This is football heritage. Means that when you start the process you are here, you are there or you are there, is heritage. And if the fans that I will always respect, always respect, if the fans and many of them are the ones you speak with, many of them are the ones I speak with and I am very lucky, but the ones who speak with you are very disappointed and the ones I speak with know what is football heritage."

United face Brighton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, but the match was hardly discussed as Mourinho delivered his rehearsed address.

He also appeared to dismiss speculation he was set to leave United in the summer, saying he was not afraid of his responsibilities.

"I could be in another country with the league in the pocket, the kind of league that you win before the league starts but I'm not, I am here and I am going to be here and no way am I going to change my mentality," he continued.

"For me, I don't know if you know the expression but there is a code that I like, which is something like: every wall is a door.

"I am not going to run away, I am not going to disappear, I am not going cry because I heard a few boos, I'm not going to disappear from the tunnel, running immediately, the next match I will be the first to go out. I respect the fans, I am not afraid of anything, I am not afraid of my responsibilities."