Jose Mourinho has a new job, and he’s already taken a shot at his former employer.
In an interview published by Portuguese broadcaster RTP1 on Tuesday, Mourinho took a swipe at AS Roma for sacking him.
After fielding a number of questions, Mourinho was asked about his former club, Roma. “At Roma, they always claimed the opposite, but the club didn’t play to win. I always wanted to win and never give up a single point. Roma didn’t do that,” he said.
Earlier, Mourinho had told the media during the GP race in Portugal in March that “it’s hard to understand how a coach who has reached the final of the European Grand Prix two years in a row can be sacked,” adding that “that’s the only thing that’s strange in this situation.”
Mourinho had just led Tottenham to the Carabao Cup final in April 2021, when the club suddenly announced his dismissal ahead of the final against Manchester City. It was an unprecedented move for the Super League.
Mourinho left Tottenham in a huff and quickly found employment with AS Roma, signing a deal to take over the reins from July of that year.
Returning to Italy after 11 years since leaving Inter Milan in 2010, Mourinho led Roma to their first major European trophy, the UEFA Champions League.
In the 2022-2023 season, he led Roma to the next level of competition, the Europa League final. They finished as runners-up, losing to Sevilla, but Roma fans couldn’t help but love Mourinho for winning their first ever European trophy.
The only disappointment was the league results. For two seasons, Mourinho’s Roma finished in sixth place. In the 2023-2024 season, they slipped to ninth place in the first half of the season, which led to his dismissal in January.
Roma owner Dan Friedkin called an emergency meeting after a 1-3 loss to AC Milan and informed Mourinho of his dismissal. The urgency of the 토토 situation made it difficult for many to understand the decision.
At the time, Italian media outlet La Repubblica reported that “Friedkin was deeply disappointed and fed up with Mourinho’s attitude. Shortly before his dismissal, he had a frank conversation with Mourinho. The owner was not happy with his constant controversial behavior, criticizing referees and avoiding responsibility.”
In particular, his verbal abuse of referee Anthony Taylor during the Europa League final against Sevilla was a flashpoint. Roma refused to support Mourinho, even after UEFA recognized the error and apologized. The post-match incident ultimately led to a falling out between the club and Mourinho, which led to his sacking.
Mourinho has since taken a break and landed a new job. He was inaugurated as Fenerbahçe’s new coach on March 3 in front of a crowd of nearly 50,000 at the Şikrü Saracolu Stadium in Turkkiye Istanbul.
Mourinho will lead Fenerbahçe from the 2024-2025 season. He has signed a two-year contract, according to local media.
“First of all, I want to thank you all for your love. The feeling I have is that since my name has been mentioned with Fenerbahce, I have felt the love you have shown. Normally, a coach receives this great love after a victory. But I can feel it from the beginning,” he said.
“This also gives me a tremendous amount of responsibility. I’m going to be your family from now on and this jersey is my skin and bones. Football is 토토사이트 순위 your passion and our passion. I think I am in one of the best places to feel that passion,” he said.
Mourinho further added: “After meeting the president of the club, I can easily say that I wanted to come here. You are an incredible group of supporters and I sincerely wanted to come here, where you are so passionate,” he said, adding: ”I want to help develop the club and the league, but the most important thing is Fenerbahçe. Right now, at this moment, since I signed, your dreams are my dreams,” he concluded.
However, Mourinho was soon at the center of controversy again when he took a shot at his former team.
Mourinho made headlines during his time at Roma for taking a shot at Tottenham. “A team with no trophies fired me a few days before the final,” he said bluntly. Many soccer fans sympathized with Mourinho. However, publicly criticizing Roma, a team with whom he has championship memories, is sure to spark controversy.