Former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho fought back the tears after Roma fans chanted a spine-tingling message in front of him.
Mourinho made his exit from the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday after he was sacked by Italian side Roma amid the club’s mixed season so far.
Roma legend Daniele De Rossi, who previously managed Italian side SPAL, has been appointed as Mourinho’s replacement until the of the season.
Mourinho arrived at the Serie A side in 2021 after he was axed from Premier League club Tottenham and made an immediate impact at Roma.
The former United boss secured the Europa Conference League title at Roma in his debut season after a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord in the final in 2022.
Mourinho came within touching distance of a second piece of major silverware at Roma last season, only for the Italian club to fall short at the final hurdle.
Roma suffered a defeat to La Liga side Sevilla on penalties in the 2023 Europa League final in Budapest.
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Roma fans’ message to Mourinho
Mourinho was set to be out of contract with Roma at the end of the season and the Special One’s future at the Stadio Olimpico had been cast in doubt.
Roma were knocked out of the Coppa Italia in a 1-0 defeat to city rivals Lazio last week and the Serie A club languished in the race for top four this season.
Mourinho left the Stadio Olimpico at the time of Roma being ninth in the league table after 20 matches and being five points adrift from the Serie A top four.
Sky Sports shared footage of an emotional Mourinho leaving Roma’s training complex and the former Spurs and Porto boss’ car was swarmed by fans.
Roma fans’ spine-tingling reception saw them chanting ‘Grazie, mister’ to the former United head coach in Italian, which translates to ‘thank you, mister’ in English.
De Rossi replaces Mourinho at Roma
Roma confirmed in an official statement that both Mourinho and his coaching staff had left the club with “immediate effect.”
Mourinho’s future remains uncertain for the time being, although the 60-year-old Portuguese manager has been linked with Newcastle amid pressure on Eddie Howe.
Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin welcomed the return of club legend De Rossi, who spent the majority of his playing career at the Stadio Olimpico.
“We are happy to be able to hand over the managerial role of AS Roma to Daniele De Rossi, as we feel that the leadership and ambition that have always defined him can prove decisive in achieving the team’s objectives until the end of the season,” the Roma owners said.
“We were aware of Daniele’s unbreakable bond with the club, but his enthusiasm for accepting the position for the next few months convinced us even more of his ability to be a guide for the players and a proud representative of the club’s values.
“Welcome home, Daniele.”
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