José Mourinho’s Roma tenure ended in January 2024, but many Giallorossi fans still remember the Special One’s best moments on and off the pitch, including some classic interviews.
Mourinho signed a three-year contract with Roma in 2021, but was sacked six months before the end of his deal in January 2024 and replaced by Daniele De Rossi.
The Portuguese tactician won the Conference League in his first season at the Stadio Olimpico and reached the Europa League Final in the following campaign, but could not manage to bring the Giallorossi to the Champions League, finishing 6th with 63 points in his only two full seasons at the Olimpico.
Mourinho indeed made history in the capital, lifting a major European trophy for the first time, but, as you would expect, there were also several entertaining moments off the field.
One was in November 2022 when he accused a Roma player [Rick Karsdorp] of betraying the rest of the team.
“It was a team that wanted to win against a tough opponent, I am sorry that the efforts of the team were betrayed by the attitude of one unprofessional player,” Mourinho said after a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo.
“You didn’t see me talking that way about Roger Ibanez against Lazio, because errors are part of the game, his attitude was never a problem.
“An unprofessional attitude that is not fair to his teammates, that is what disappoints me. A point away from home is still not a negative result and I am happy with the general attitude of my squad.”
At the end of the same season, after another draw against Monza, Mou hit out at referee Daniele Chiffi.
“This was the worst referee I have encountered in my entire career,” he said.
“Believe me, I have dealt with many bad referees. Usually, when I talk about referees, it is because they have a direct influence on the game. In this case, I don’t think that is true. But he is horrible, he makes no human connection with anyone, he has no empathy, he gives a red card to a player who slips because he is exhausted at the 96th minute.”
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09:
Jose Mourinho speaks to Rick Karsdorp of AS Roma before they are substituted during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AS Roma at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on November 09, 2022 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Roma hired three coaches following Mourinho’s dismissal: De Rossi, Ivan Juric, and Claudio Ranieri. Under the Italian tactician, the Giallorossi have climbed the table and are now fighting for a Champions League spot in Serie A. Wildz’s football coverage includes the Giallorossi’s key matches in the final part of the season, when Ranieri’s men will meet Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Fiorentina, Atalanta, and Milan, among others.
Just a few weeks before the premature end of his tenure at the Olimpico, Mourinho once again blamed a referee and even an opponent, before a Serie A match with Sassuolo.
“Sassuolo are a good team, they have a good coach and only have to play one game per week. To be honest, I will say that I am worried about the referee,” he admitted.
“We had this official three times and I don’t think he has the emotional stability to work at this level. It is not just Sassuolo-Roma, we are three points off the Champions League places and it is a very important match for us. I am not relaxed about the referee or the VAR, who we were also often unlucky with.
“I am worried about Berardi, who is a fantastic player, I love him, but he needs to show more respect for his opponents. He mocks other players and gets them booked, so I love and hate him. I don’t like that kind of behaviour on the field and I would really dislike seeing that from one of my players. I am sure tomorrow with Marcenaro as the referee, Gianluca Mancini will get a yellow card after 10 minutes against Berardi and be suspended against Fiorentina.”
In one of his latest press conferences as Roma coach at the end of 2023, Mou taunted his players following poor results in away matches.
“I liked away games with some teams more than home games because that band of outlaws enjoyed the agonism coming from away matches,” he revealed.
“In this team, somebody misses the home comfort when they go out. They miss the mum, dad, and grandmother preparing dessert.”
