To defend with every player behind the ball and no intention of leaving. José Mourinho used the phrase in September 2004 about a Tottenham side that drew 0-0 with his Chelsea, and it outlived the match, the manager and most of the players. Any defensive win against a bigger team gets 'parked the bus' from the losing fans.
I remember the original quote being about a boring game, not a defensive tactic. The internet turned a complaint into a formation. Somewhere there is a Football Manager mod called it.
Seen after a 1-0 away win at a top-four ground: the winning club's account posted a bus emoji themselves. The phrase has been reclaimed. That is how you know it is permanent.
Mourinho coined it as an insult and then spent a decade doing it, which is the joke everyone makes. The phrase belongs to the losing side: nobody says their own team parked the bus, they say it 'defended heroically'.
What does it mean? Write it the way you would say it out loud.
