January 16, (THEWILL) – AS Roma has parted ways with manager Jose Mourinho, after a disappointing season so far, the Serie A club confirmed on Tuesday. The owners said the decision was made with the “best interests” of the team in mind.
Roma sits 9th in the league table after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to AC Milan on Sunday. They have struggled with injuries to key players this season, including striker Paulo Dybala. The club is now 22 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
In a statement, Roma said “Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff will leave the club with immediate effect. Further updates on the new first-team coaching staff will follow imminently.” The club have picked up just 4 points from their last 5 league games. They were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia last week by local rivals Lazio in a 1-0 defeat.
Following recent poor results, Mourinho had likened himself to the fictional wizard Harry Potter, saying he was raising fans’ expectations through his presence at the club. He also strongly defended his professionalism after criticism from the media.
Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said “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 Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours.”
Mourinho was appointed Roma manager in 2021, after previously managing Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United amongst others. Last season he led Roma to the inaugural Europa Conference League title. He also took them to the Europa League final in 2023, where they lost on penalties to Sevilla. Roma next face 18th-placed Verona at home on Saturday, as they look to turn around their recent slump in form.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
