ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Jose Mourinho’s Roma career looks to have come to an end
Jose Mourinho has come to the end of a long, difficult and intense season in which he managed to defy the odds with his Roma squad.
The Portuguese coach reached a Europa League final with only 14 outfield players at his disposal and proved his ability to work with youth even in the most difficult of circumstances.
His post-match comments, spoken after their Europa League final defeat to Sevilla, should serve as a wake-up call for the club.
To stay in Rome, a city where he lives like an emperor, he wants to have a competitive team with at least six or seven more players to help improve the quality of the starting line-up.
But, the ‘Special One’ asks the club for something that he will most likely never get. And that is, an immediately competitive team to win the Scudetto.
Jose Mourinho’s time at Roma may be up after their Europa League final defeat on Thursday
The Portuguese boss watched on as his side were beaten on penalties by Spanish side Sevilla
However the Friedkin family, Roma’s owners, will not be able to satisfy the Portuguese coach’s needs and will result in Mourinho leaving before the expiry of his contract.
The coach’s tactical nous and adaptability helped Roma pick up as many points as possible for an average quality Serie A but, along the way, his relationships with the league’s referees grew fractured.
Mourinho is a controversial man and, in his second spell in Italy, has earned more red cards than trophies. As he has gotten older, his anger has become even more difficult to manage and has caused him to make serious communication errors.
However, at the end of the game he called everyone next to him, looked all his men in his eyes and gave them a motivational speech as a coach who knows he will leave his crew shortly.
MOU WILL NOT GET WHAT HE WANTS FROM ROMA
What does he want? A team immediately ready to win the Scudetto. This is Josè Mourinho’s request in order to see him stay at Roma for another 12 months.
This time, however, the chances of being satisfied are non-existent despite the club having made a lot of efforts on the market in the salary sector.
With the likes of Paulo Dybala, Nemanja Matic, Chris Smalling and Georginio Wijnaldum are all paid very well – despite the club spending only a few million on their transfers.
Mourinho also had the merit of promoting youngsters Edoardo Bove and Nicola Zalewski to the first-team but it’ll take time for them to be Roma’s star players.
To try to win the Scudetto, over £150million would need to be invested – which the club, like all Serie A teams, cannot afford.
Former Man United defender Chris Smalling is one the players on a lucrative contract at Roma
In his Europa League final post-match press conference, Mourinho defended the team and it’s work, asking for greater involvement from the club.
On the pitch, the ‘Special One’ almost had tears in his eyes. The tension of the match against Sevilla had worn him out and it was clear the emotions ran high.
He asked a UEFA delegate to hand him his runners-up medal, squeezed it in his fist and gave it to a boy sat in the stands.
This had a clear meaning. Mourinho no longer wants to be second and, instead, wants to win again. This is his DNA and it’s something that does not align with Roma.
MOU FUTURE
In his press conference, the coach’s analysis between the present and the future was very clear: ‘I’m tired of doing everything myself, always putting my face into it’.
These are the kind of words that will make it impossible to mend his diplomatic relationship with the club and, in turn, creates an incurable rift.
Right now, the chances of seeing Jose Mourinho sitting on the Roma bench next season are close to zero per cent.
His experiences in Rome could strongly affect the next project for the Portuguese coach, who wants to return to the top after two years with an average club.
Mourinho threw his runners-up medal into the crowd to show his frustrations with the result
The Premier League has a particular fascination for Jose Mourinho. Coaching an English club again is his priority but the temptations coming from PSG also represent a unique opportunity to end his career in the best possible way.
According to ‘Corriere dello Sport’, PSG are considering the Roma coach as a replacement for Christophe Galtier.
It’s a move that would see Mourinho return to the epicentre of football and place him within one of the two richest clubs in modern football.
The ‘Special One’, in this moment, will be sad and will have to act as a father to the players who he’s coached over the last two years.
The tears of Paulo Dybala showed that perhaps Mourinho’s short but sweet stint at Roma was coming to an end and the Argentine will have to prepare for a new coach.
The few top players in the team had chosen Roma solely for Mourinho and, now, the risk that his departure could create an earthquake in the locker room.
The Portuguese manager has been tipped to succeed PSG coach Christophe Galtier (above)