Jose Mourinho has been appointed as the new AS Roma manager, the club have confirmed. The Portuguese was only recently sacked as Spurs boss and appeared set for an extended break in the game. However, he will make a swift to management with Roma – taking charge ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. Earlier today, the club announced manager Paulo Fonseca will be departing the Stadio Olimpico at the end of the season before following up with the shock news that he will be replaced by Mourinho.
Mourinho, who won the treble with Inter Milan in 2010 during a glittering first stint in Italy, has signed a contract until 2024. He will be reunited with both Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who he managed at Manchester United.
In a statement responding to his appointment, Mourinho said: “Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision.
“After meetings with the ownership and Tiago Pinto, I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions for AS Roma. It is the same ambition and drive that has always motivated me and together we want to build a winning project over the upcoming years.
“In the meantime, I wish Paulo Fonseca all the best and I hope the media appreciate that I will only speak further in due course. Daje Roma!”
Mourinho’s next job has been made public just over two weeks after he was relieved of his duties at Spurs, where he had been at the helm for 17 months.
His dismissal came days before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley. Only four days ago, the 58-year-old signed a lucrative deal to join radio station talkSPORT for their European Championships coverage in the summer.
