In a surprise twist, Roma have appointed José Mourinho as their new coach starting from the 2021-2022 season. They made it official earlier today that Paulo Fonseca would not be retained. Maurizio Sarri was believed to be the frontrunner for the job, but the Giallorossi operated under the radar to secure the signature of the former Inter boss.
Mourinho will return in Serie A 11 years after the treble with the Nerazzurri in 2009-2010. He coached at Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Tottenham, with mixed results in his last two stops, after leaving the Peninsula.
Over the course of his career, he won the Champions League and the Europa League twice, two Scudetti with Inter, La Liga once with the Merengues, the Premier League on three separate occasions with Chelsea, on top of numerous domestic cups.
Mourinho has agreed to a contract until 2024. He stated to the club’s site: “Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision. After meeting with the ownership and Tiago Pinto, I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions for AS Roma. It is the same drive that has always motivated me, and together we want to build a winning project over the upcoming years. The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job, and I cannot wait to start the next season.”
The gaffer was axed on April 19th following a 17-month stint with Tottenham, where he collected 86 wins, 44 draws and 23 losses, leaving them while they were outside of the Champions League zone.