In mid-January, Roma announced the sacking of Jose Mourinho and his technical assistants, stating they would leave the club with immediate effect. The Italian club’s poor position in the Serie A table was a determining factor in the board’s drastic decision.
Now, ‘The Special One’ has gone on a tirade against the club’s ownership, in particular against American Dan Friedkin in a talk as an ambassador for ‘fooball.com’.
“The European competitions are about to begin, in particular the Champions League, perhaps the most important competition on the world calendar,” said Mourinho.
“I won’t be there at these final stages, not because I’ve already been eliminated, but because I was ‘eliminated’ by someone who knows little about football.
Mou, who led Roma to victory in the Conference League in 2022 [their first European title since 1961] and to play in the Europa League final in 2023, had qualified the ‘giallorossi’ for the playoffs – they will face Feyenoord – this term.
“That’s life, full of ups and downs, and I’m growing, despite the unexpected and unfair dismissal. But I will return, with even more enthusiasm and confidence, for these UEFA matches,” added Mourinho.
Mourinho highlights his accomplishments
The former coach of Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid and Manchester United, once again made note of his CV when it comes to knockout matches in European competitions.
“I’ve participated in many matches and have reached the final several times. They are truly special matches, for us coaches, for the fans and, obviously, for the players.
“I therefore have enough experience and knowledge to know how to move forward, even when we have opponents with a much greater potential than ours.
“At this stage I always keep in mind, in the first game you always play to win, in the second, you know what you need to go to the next round.