AS Roma have announced the sacking of head coach Jose Mourinho with immediate effect, citing a need for “an immediate change in the best interests of the club.”
The decision comes after a string of disappointing results for the Giallorossi, who currently sit ninth in Serie A, five points adrift of the Champions League places. Their most recent setback was a 3-1 defeat at AC Milan on Sunday.
Mourinho, whose contract was due to expire in June, joined Roma in 2021 and enjoyed some success, guiding them to the inaugural Europa Conference League title in 2022 and reaching the Europa League final last season.
However, his attacking style of play and inconsistent results have drawn criticism from fans and pundits alike.
Also Roma are five points off Serie A’s final Champions League qualifying spot and last week were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by city rivals Lazio.
After the cup loss to Lazio, Mourinho compared himself to Harry Potter, suggesting his profile was “raising expectations” for what Roma 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 speculate that former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, could be in line to replace Mourinho as coach.
With Mourinho’s departure, Roma face the task of finding a new manager who can reignite their hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
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