Jose Mourinho sacked: AS Roma appoint club legend Daniele De Rossi as caretaker manager until season’s end

AS Roma have officially sacked Jose Mourinho after the Giallorossi lost their last two games against Lazio and AC Milan and in general four of the last seven games in all competitions, putting in some poor performances along the way. American owner Dan Friedkin decided to part ways with the legendary manager despite Mourinho was out of contract in less than six months, with his current deal expiring in the summer 2024, with the team officially announcing the move in a statement.

“AS Roma can confirm that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff will leave the club with immediate effect. Mourinho was unveiled as the Giallorossi’s 60th coach in May 2021. He led the team to win the Conference League in Tirana on May 25th, 2022, and to the Europa League final in Budapest last season.

“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 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.”

The Gialllorossi appointed former club legend Daniele De Rossi as caretaker manager until the end of the season. De Rossi, was the assistant of Roberto Mancini with the Italian national team and coached in the Italian second division at SPAL during the 2022-23 season. The club announced the comeback of De Rossi only a few hours after showing Mourinho the door. 

“AS Roma are pleased to confirm that Daniele De Rossi has been appointed as head coach until 30 June 2024. After an 18-year playing career with AS Roma, De Rossi will return home as head coach, with his first game being the club’s upcoming Serie A match against Verona on Saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico.”

De Rossi returns to Roma with a big challenge ahead of him.

“I would like to thank the Friedkin family for entrusting me with the responsibility of Roma’s head coach role. From my side, I know no other way but dedication, daily sacrifices, and giving everything I have in order to face the challenges that await us from now until the end of the season.

“The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me. However, the work that awaits us all has already taken precedence. We have no time or choice but to be competitive, fight for our goals, and try to achieve them, which are the only priorities my staff and I have set for ourselves.”

De Rossi made 616 appearances and scored 63 goals for the Giallorossi in all competitions, ranking second in the club’s all-time appearance record. At club level, he won the Coppa Italia twice, in 2007 and 2008, along with one Supercoppa in 2007. In addition to his record-breaking accomplishments with Roma, Rossi has also had a successful international career. He is Italy’s fourth most-capped player, with 117 games, and has represented the Azzurri in eight major international competitions. In 2006, he won the World Cup with his Roma teammates, Francesco Totti and Simone Perrotta.

Mourinho signed with AS Roma in May 2021, in one of the most surprising appointments in recent history, replacing Paulo Fonseca. The legendary Portuguese boss signed a three-year deal with the Giallorossi. In his first season in charge, the Special One won the first UEFA competition in club history, the recently created UEFA Conference League, against Feyenoord. In his second season, AS Roma lost to Sevilla the UEFA Europa League final after some controversial referee decisions. Mourinho leaves AS Roma with the club currently ninth in the Serie A table, five points behind the top four. Last week, Roma lost to Lazio in the Derby della Capitale’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal, and next February will face Feyenoord in the playoffs for the Europa League knockout rounds.

Mourinho had the chance to leave the club twice in the past year, but both times decided to stay at Roma and refused the offers coming from the Portuguese national team in January 2023 and from Saudi clubs in the summer 2023. Over his stint at Roma he became the face of the team and was beloved by the majority of fans, who always supported the club and the now former manager. With Mourinho at the club, Roma were able to sign players like Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku.

We can all debate the actual impact of Mourinho on the pitch, as he was in charge of for 96 games (W44 D23 L29) in Serie A, recording an average points of 1.61, the lowest such ratio among the coaches with more than 50 matches with the Giallorossi in the 3 points for a win era (since 1994-95). However, there are also other things to consider. He brought the first UEFA trophy at the club, created an incredible atmosphere and connection with the fans and helped Roma to be back at a certain European level. For sure, looking at the reactions of the fans after the sacking, he did not fail.