Mourinho named Roma boss from start of next season
Jose Mourinho has been appointed AS Roma manager from the start of next season. Mourinho, who was sacked by Premier League club Tottenham last month, will replace fellow Portuguese Paulo Fonseca. Roma announced earlier on Tuesday that Fonseca would leave at the end of the current season. Notably, Mourinho has signed a three-year deal with the three-time Serie A champions.
Mourinho outlined the reason behind his decision to join Roma. "The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job and I cannot wait to start next season," said Mourinho. "Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club. After meetings with the ownership and Tiago Pinto, I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions."
"When Jose became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time," said Tiago Pinto, general manager of Roma. He added that they were blown away by Mourinho's desire to win and his passion for football. He also highlighted that Mourinho possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to compete at all levels.
Roma have not won the Serie A since 2000-01, when former England manager Fabio Capello was in charge. Roma - who lost the 1984 European Cup final in their own stadium against Liverpool - also won the title in 1941-42 and 1982-83. Roma have won the Coppa Italia on nine occasions, having tasted success last in 2007-08. They have won the Supercoppa Italiana twice.
After a promising phase in the 2020-21 Serie A season, Roma lost shape and are placed seventh. They are seven points behind sixth-placed Lazio. With four games to go, Roma will hope to end on a high. Meanwhile, they also suffered a 6-2 loss against Manchester United in their semi-final first leg of the Europa League. Roma's season has turned into agony.
Mourinho needed a project where he gets the time to build his side. He can give you instant success but in terms of challenging for the league, the time factor is crucial. What Mourinho will target here is to help Roma enter the Champions League. With Inter, Milan, and Juventus better shaped, Mourinho has to build a team to compete at the top level.
Last month, Premier League club Tottenham sacked Mourinho after just 17 months in charge. The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss had replaced Mauricio Pochettino as Spurs manager in November 2019 and guided the club to sixth in the Premier League last season. When he departed, Spurs were seventh in the league standings.
