José Mourinho held his first presser today: “I want to thank the fans because the reaction to my hiring has been amazing. I have done nothing to deserve it yet. I am grateful to the club for choosing me. The Friedkin family has a very precise and sustainable project. We must not forget the past of the club and build an important future. It is time to get to work; I am not here on vacation.”
He denied speaking to some players: “I have not contacted anybody. You may believe that to be untrue, but that is the reality. I talk only with ownership and director Tiago Pinto.”
Mourinho was mum on the future of Edin Dzeko: “I may be unpleasant, but the captaincy is a matter that must be discussed inside the club and with the players before the press.”
“I will simply be Roma’s coach. I will do everything to defend my guys, and surely I am not looking for trouble. We just want to have fun. I am a victim of my past. I won three titles with Manchester United, and it was a disaster. Some achievements that are considered important for other managers do not have the same value when I am involved. We want to win the first game and then get better every day.”
Mourinho dished on their Scudetto chances: “A lot of work goes into that, I do not want to make any promises. We have to improve; then the success will come. We do not want an isolated title, we want to reach the top and stay there. It is easy to win and not pay the wages. We finished 29 points behind the champions last year and can not escape such situation. We must understand what the reasons are.”