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Tom Hamilton, senior writer
The Italian club Roma announced on Tuesday the departure of Jose Mourinho from the team with immediate effect, and the appointment of club legend Daniele De Rossi as his temporary replacement until the end of the season.
Mourinho’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season, but after a 3-1 defeat to Milan on Sunday, with the club occupying ninth place in Serie A, the owners and technical director parted ways.
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This brings an end to Mourinho’s spell at the club, which began in May 2021 and saw him win the Europa League in 2022 and reach the Europa League final last season.
“We would like to thank Jose on behalf of everyone at Roma for his passion and efforts since arriving at the club.” Owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said.
“We will always have fond memories of his time at Roma, but we believe an immediate change is in the best interest of the club. We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Mourinho’s three years at Roma culminated in him winning the European Conference League title against Feyenoord in Tirana. It was their first title in 11 years in their first European final since 1991.
But after a difficult 2023-24 season, the final straw appears to be defeat to Milan at the weekend. This came after a bad run when Roma was eliminated from the Italian Cup against its local rival Lazio on January 10, achieving only one win in six league matches. But just last week, he was reiterating his commitment to the club. Mourinho said: “I have been here for two years and five months, and I am the only person here who has not missed a single training session during that period.” “For me, there are no illnesses or bad moods.
“For two and a half years I have done nothing wrong, not even two weeks ago when everyone was sick. I do not accept in any way that my professionalism, dignity and heart for this job should be questioned. “If there is a perfect example of professionalism, it is me. “I have never missed a single game in more than 20 years of my career.”
Mourinho joined Roma in 2021 after a career that saw him manage Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham. He took over as Roma coach just 15 days after being sacked by Tottenham.
Since Mourinho joined the league, no one in Serie A has received more red cards than the five received by the Portuguese coach. His conflicts with officials in Italy have been well documented, with Mourinho even going so far as to wear a microphone during a match against Monza last May in an attempt to “protect” himself.
One of his final acts in Rome was to compare himself to Harry Potter.
“The Roma fans are the most amazing I have ever seen,” Mourinho said. “Their coach is Jose Mourinho, Harry Potter, and he is raising expectations.”
De Rossi, Mourinho’s replacement, will take charge of his first match on Saturday against Verona at the Olimpico.
“We are pleased to be able to hand over the managerial role of Roma to Daniele De Rossi, as we feel that the leadership and ambition that have always distinguished him can be decisive in achieving the team’s goals until the end of the season.” The companions said in A Press release announcing recruitment.
“We knew of Daniele’s unbreakable bond with the club, but his enthusiasm in accepting the position for the next few months has further convinced us of his ability to be a mentor to the players and a proud representative of the club’s values.”
De Rossi spent 18 years as a player with Roma, and graduated from the club’s academy before participating in 616 matches with the first team, in which he scored 63 goals.
The 40-year-old was part of Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff when Italy won the European Championship in 2021, before taking over as coach of Serie B side SPAL from October 2022 to February 2023.
De Rossi said: “I know no other way than dedication and daily sacrifices and giving everything I have in order to face the challenges that await us from now until the end of the season.”
“The excitement of being on the bench is indescribable. Everyone knows how much Roma means to me. However, the work ahead of us all has already taken precedence.”
