Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Roma.
Year three has seen the team regress and currently sit in ninth place in Serie A.
He leaves having won the Conference League trophy once pic.twitter.com/CkPbw0hZ7R
— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) January 16, 2024
The recent dismissal of Jose Mourinho at AS Roma has left some football fans scratching their heads at just why one of the game’s greatest football brains has departed yet another club following a relatively short tenure after being appointed in May 2021.
Mourinho was a statement appointment
The charismatic Portuguese manager arrived at Roma with big expectations – Mourinho’s been competing at the top end of football’s major competitions consistently throughout his career. During his time at Chelsea, for example, Mourinho’s Blues side was regularly among the main contenders like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the league table. His legacy was profound: many would say that Mourinho’s departure sparked the end of the glory days for Chelsea, who are currently priced at 475/1 to be named outright winner, according to the Premier League title odds.
However, his work was all but finished. Mourinho took his talents elsewhere. A born winner, Mourinho had the mentality a stagnating Roma required at the time.
Additionally, Roma’s ambitious president, Dan Friedkin, and his son, Ryan, clearly wanted to make a statement by appointing one of the game’s biggest characters. As featured in useful football tips from Paddy Power News, Mourinho is a widely respected mind in the world of football. So much so, that Newcastle United assistant boss Jason Tindall even sent the former translator at Barcelona a Facebook friend request.
Jose Mourinho doesn’t specialise in longevity
While the American billionaire and his son would’ve been acutely aware of Mourinho’s relatively short-term tenures wherever he’s been, they perhaps wouldn’t have expected the dramatic drop-off that went on to lead to his departure.
Mourinho led Roma to successive sixth-placed finishes and a memorable UEFA Europa Conference League triumph at the end of the 2021/22 season, but he failed to build on it. As the club’s official statement stated, an “immediate change” was “in the best interests” of the team. Ultimately, a decline in performances this season has left the team languishing in mid-table.
Another potential factor behind Mourinho’s exit is his contentious personality. The Champions League-winning manager was appointed Roma boss after experiencing his third Premier League sacking in six years at Spurs. Historically, he’s proven that while he can offer a short-term fix and the potential to win things, Mourinho doesn’t tend to last long in jobs.
In his managerial career to date, Mourinho has had notable bust-ups with players and fall-outs with club owners and the media – it all tends to come crashing down around him eventually. The same has most definitely occurred at AS Roma.
“I would like to say I couldn’t care less with what he says. I am not interested at all. ”
-Jose Mourinho on Paul Pogba’s comments on him as a manager at Manchester United pic.twitter.com/Ph2KyO6aPq
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) April 17, 2021
Mourinho has criticised referees and received touchline bans
An outspoken manager in the press, Jose Mourinho isn’t afraid to speak his mind either. While his tactics are generally lauded and he’s known to pride himself on the beautiful game’s finer details, his fiery nature means that he’s always one press conference away from getting himself in trouble.
Mourinho’s rage was evidenced after Roma’s clash with Monza in May, when Mourinho labelled official Daniele Chiffi as “the worst referee I have encountered in my entire career”, earning himself a fine worth $55,000 in the process. This came after numerous clashes with match officials, most notably when he aimed several profanities at referee Anthony Taylor in a car park after the 2022/23 Europa League final.
What next for Jose Mourinho?
Despite Roma’s ambitious American owners looking to go in a different direction, Mourinho’s time in charge can be considered a success overall. He delivered a trophy, after all. Still, Jose Mourinho has yet another sacking to his name but the Portuguese legend’s reputation will always precede him.
Image Source: unsplash.com
