A.S. Roma have announced the immediate sacking of manager Jose Mourinho, citing the need to “act urgently in the best interests of the club”. The decision comes after a series of disappointing results for the Giallorossi, who currently sit ninth in Serie A and are five points off the Champions League places. Their latest setback was a 3-1 loss against AC Milan on Sunday.
Mourinho, whose contract expires in June, moved to Roma in 2021 and enjoyed some success. He led the team to their first Europa Conference League title in 2022 and to the Europa League final last season.
However, his aggressive style of play and inconsistent results have drawn criticism from fans and critics alike. Roma are also five points away from qualifying for the final Champions League in Serie A, having been eliminated in the Coppa Italia last week by city rivals Lazio. The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid manager also led the Italian club to the Europa League final last year, but they lost to Sevilla on penalties.
However, Roma have won just one of their last six Serie A matches this season and remain ninth in the table, recently losing out to city rivals Lazio in the Coppa Italia.
After that defeat, he compared himself to Harry Potter, perhaps suggesting that he still has a sense of “magic” as a manager. During the match, he received a red card for the second consecutive year for “raising expectations” of what the club could achieve.
“We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club,” said owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin in a statement.
“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club. We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Italian media are speculating that former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi, who won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, could be appointed as Mourinho’s successor. Following Mourinho’s departure, Roma face the challenge of finding a new manager who can reignite their hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
Mourinho won two Premier League titles and three cup competitions in his first spell at Stamford Bridge, before being released and joining Inter Milan, where he won two Italian league titles and two Champions Leagues.
Mourinho then moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid, winning the La Liga title before winning his third Premier League title in his second season at Stamford Bridge. He then played for Manchester United, where he won the Europa League title, played for Tottenham Hotspur, and then moved to Roma.
De Rossi’s appointment is reminiscent of United’s initial temporary appointment of Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær to replace Mourinho.
Former Tottenham player, Ryan Mason also took temporary charge of Spurs when Mourinho left the north London club in 2021.
Mason is currently the youngest Premier League manager in history.