These are the Scenes Behind the Departure of the Special One from Roma
Roma, currently occupying the ninth spot in Serie A, announced the dismissal of their Portuguese coach, Jose Mourinho, due to disappointing results, notably a 1-3 defeat to Milan in the league being the tipping point.
In an official statement, the capital’s club said, “We believe that immediate change is in the club’s best interest.”
Roma signed the former Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Inter Milan coach in May 2021. Mourinho led the team to clinching the Conference League title in 2022 and reaching the final match of the Europa League last season.
However, recent weeks witnessed a souring of relations between Mourinho (60 years old) and the Friedkin family, the owners of the capital club. The Portuguese coach openly criticized the team’s quality and squad in public.
In a joint statement, Dan and Ryan Friedkin expressed gratitude, saying, “We extend our thanks to Jose on behalf of the entire Roma family for his passion and contributions since joining the club. While we cherish the memories, we believe an immediate change is needed for the club’s best interest.”
They continued, “We wish Jose and his coaching staff success in their future endeavors.” Mourinho’s successor, whose contract was supposed to expire in June, will be unveiled as soon as possible.
Reports in the Italian media hint at former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, as a potential replacement for Mourinho.
Roma failed to win three games in a row across various competitions – a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, a 1-3 league loss to Milan, and elimination from the local cup quarter-finals at the hands of cross-town rivals, Lazio, with a 0-1 score.
Having finished second in their Europa League group, Roma missed direct qualification to the quarter-finals. They now face a playoff against Feyenoord, who secured third place in the Champions League group and were runner-ups to Roma in the Conference League final two seasons ago.
Occupying the ninth spot, Roma sits five points away from the fourth place, which secures Champions League qualification for the upcoming season.
Insider information suggests that Roma had considered parting ways with Mourinho following their penalty shootout defeat in the Europa League final against Sevilla last season, because of their dissatisfaction with the coach’s consistent criticism of match officials.
The report explained that the loss itself wasn’t the primary reason; the club was annoyed by Mourinho’s four-match suspension for protesting against a referee in the stadium parking lot and his persistent complaints against match officials across various competitions.
It’s noteworthy that sporting director Thiago Pinto and CEO Lina Soloko were not consulted about Mourinho’s dismissal; they knew of the decision only after it had been made.
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