Breaking: Jose Mourinho leaves AS Roma with immediate effect
AS Roma's legendary boss Jose Mourinho has left the Serie A club with immediate effect.
The Portuguese, who assumed charge of the club in July 2021, managed the club in 138 games across competitions, winning 68 times and losing 40. Mourinho led Roma to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022.
He also led them to the UEFA Europa League final last season, where the Italian club fell on penalties to Sevilla, marking Mourinho's first European final defeat. This season, he led them in 26 games across competitions, winning 13 and losing nine.
However, the 3-1 Serie A defeat at AC Milan on Monday (January 15) appeared to be the final straw that broke the camel's back. Roma are a lowly ninth in the standings after 20 games, five points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina and 22 adrift of runaway leaders Inter Milan.
“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 Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.
“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.”
Mourinho's next destination appears uncertain at this point.
What Jose Mourinho had said after AS Roma's defeat at AC Milan
AS Roma's form has been faltering for a while, with their midweek Coppa Italia defeat to Lazio followed by a league reverse at AC Milan.
The defeat to the Rossoneri meant that Roma had won just one of their last five league games as they continued to slip in the race for the top-four. Shortly before the Milan defeat, Mourinho had said (as per the Guardian):
This is us, this is Roma. You have the most incredible supporters I have ever seen in my life. And then you have a manager who, when people hear his name, they think it’s Jose Harry Mourinho Potter, not Jose Felix. The level of demand and expectation shoots up.”
Jose Mourinho's words failed to have the desired effect, though, as Roma have gone three games winless since beating Cremonese 2-1 at home in the Coppa Italia on January 4.