Roma fire Jose Mourinho; Daniele De Rossi in as interim

Jose Mourinho has left Serie A side Roma with immediate effect, the team announced on Tuesday, hiring club legend Daniele De Rossi as his interim replacement until the end of the season.

Mourinho's contract was due to expire at the end of the season but, after the 3-1 defeat to AC Milan on Sunday and with the club ninth in Serie A, the owners and coach parted ways.

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This ends Mourinho's stay at the club, which began in May 2021 and saw him win the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and reach the Europa League final last season.

“We would like to thank José on behalf of all of us at Rome for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club,” said owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.

“We will always have fond memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe an immediate change is in the best interests of the club. We wish José and his assistants all the best in their future endeavors.”

Mourinho's three years at Rome culminated in the Europa Conference League title victory over Feyenoord in Tirana. It was their first trophy in 11 years in their first European final since 1991.

But after a difficult 2023-24 season, the final straw appears to be the defeat against Milan this weekend. This came after a poor run of form when Roma were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by local rivals Lazio on January 10, and managed just one win in six league matches. But just last week, he reiterated his commitment to the club. “I have been here for two years and five months and I am the only person here who has not missed a single training session during this time,” Mourinho said. “For me, there is no illness or bad mood.

“For two and a half years, I have not done anything wrong, not even a few weeks ago, when everyone was sick. In no case do I accept that my professionalism and my dignity, my heart for this work , can be called into question. If there is a perfect example of professionalism, it is me. I have never missed a single match in more than 20 years of my career.”

Mourinho joined Roma in 2021 after a career that saw him manage FC Porto, Chelsea (twice), Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham. He accepted the Roma job just 15 days after being sacked by Spurs.

Since Mourinho joined the league, no one in Serie A has received more red cards than the five sent to the Portuguese coach. His difficulties with Italian officials were well documented – with Mourinho even going so far as to wear a microphone during a match against Monza last May in a bid to “protect” himself.

One of his last acts in Rome was to compare himself to Harry Potter.

“The Roma fans are the most incredible I have ever seen,” Mourinho said. “Their coach is José 'Harry Potter' Mourinho, and he has high expectations.”

Mourinho's replacement De Rossi will take charge of his first match on Saturday against Verona at the Olimpico.

“We are happy to be able to entrust the management of AS Roma to Daniele De Rossi, because we believe that the leadership and ambition that have always defined him can prove decisive in achieving the team's objectives until at the end of the season,” the owners said in a statement announcing the rental.

“We were aware of the unbreakable bond that united Daniele to the club, but his enthusiasm to accept this position for the coming months convinced us even more of his ability to be a guide for the players and a proud representative of the club's values.”

De Rossi spent 18 years with Roma as a player, graduating from the club's academy before making 616 appearances for the first team, during which he scored 63 goals.

The 40-year-old was part of Roberto Mancini's coaching staff when Italy won the European Championship in 2021, before taking charge of Serie B side SPAL from October 2022 until February 2023.

“I don't know any other way than dedication, daily sacrifices and everything I have to face the challenges that await us between now and the end of the season,” De Rossi said.

“The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me. However, the work ahead of us all has already taken priority.”