ROME, Italy – Jose Mourinho has been sacked as head coach by Roma.
Mourinho, 60, had been at the helm of the Serie A club since the summer of 2021 and guided them to the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and the Europa League final the following season.
However, Roma have struggled domestically and currently sit ninth in the Italian top-flight — Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Milan was their third defeat in five league games and has proved to be Mourinho’s final game as boss.
The club subsequently announced the appointment of former captain Daniele De Rossi as Mourinho’s replacement until the end of the season.
De Rossi was most recently in charge of Serie B side SPAL before being dismissed in February.
Roma sit 22 points off Serie A league leaders Inter, while they have won just eight of their 20 league matches to date this campaign, losing seven.
The Giallorossi were also eliminated from the Coppa Italia last week, suffering a 1-0 defeat against fierce cross-city rivals Lazio.
Roma finished in sixth place in each of Mourinho’s two full seasons in charge but a recent run which has seen successive league away defeats at Bologna, Juventus and Milan have seen them slip to ninth and in danger of dropping out of the top half.
Despite struggles domestically, Mourinho did lead Roma to their first European title since the Inter-City Fairs Cup in 1961 when they defeated Feyenoord in the final of the Europa Conference League in 2022.
Roma came close to winning their first ever Europa League title the following campaign, but were edged out by Sevilla in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 final draw.
A statement from Roma’s Dan and Ryan Friedkin read: “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.
“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 José and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Mourinho is one of the most decorated football managers of all time having won the Champions League at Porto and Inter, while lifting three Premier League titles across two spells at Chelsea alongside high-profile stints in charge of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham prior to his appointment as Roma boss in 2021.
Is Mourinho’s sacking by Roma a surprise?
Analysis from The Athletic’s Serie A correspondent James Horncastle
In terms of results, this is no surprise.
This is Roma’s worst season in Serie A in more than two decades. The team is five points outside the Champions League places and has never qualified under Mourinho.
Last week’s elimination from the Coppa Italia at the expense of rivals Lazio hurt immensely too. Up until then Mourinho’s popularity among fans was god-like and the club’s owners, the Friedkins, were under pressure to extend his contract.
This decision is a courageous one from the Friedkins. They have seized the moment as no one can argue that this is the worst period in Mourinho’s two and a half years at the club.
The Athletic
