Barletta to choose between Roma, Lazio and Frosinone for summer friendly

José Mourinho has opened up about his relationship with Roma and the painful end to his time at the club, describing a connection with the fanbase that transcended football. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho recalled his arrival in the capital with characteristic candour. "The fans were special with me," he said. "I always tell the story that on the day I arrived in Rome and got off the plane, there were a thousand people. But I had done nothing. I hadn't won anything for these people and I asked myself why. This had a big impact. I didn't deserve it, but this is Rome—you understand it afterwards." Mourinho emphasised the depth of his commitment to the club and its supporters. "A crazy connection was created," he explained. "They understood that I never worried about my image, my relationships with the ownership, Italian football politics, or the press. For me, only Roma and the Romanisti existed. I fought for them, I gave everything of myself and in return I received their love." He highlighted Roma's Europa Conference League victory as a watershed moment, noting that for a club without frequent major honours, such a triumph carried immense significance. "The fans showed a love that touches you for the club. I made mistakes, I lost matches, I got things wrong sometimes, but they always understood that I was fighting for them." The narrative darkened when Mourinho addressed the Europa League final in Budapest and its aftermath. "The end of the Europa League was the highest point of this connection with the fans. Obviously it ended badly for me," he said. "I paid for the relationship with the ownership, which had a profile and approach different from mine over what happened in the final. I was already dead, and after a few months I left." The interview underscores how deeply the wound of his departure runs, and his place in supporters' affection remains secure, though Mourinho himself resists comparisons with Roma's legendary figures.

José Mourinho has explained the breakdown of his Roma tenure in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, linking the fracture with Friedkin ownership to the aftermath of the Budapest final and the Anthony Taylor controversy. Now Real Madrid manager, Mourinho said the consequences of the Taylor incident extended beyond his direct responsibility. "What happened to Taylor at the airport is not my responsibility," he stated. "The responsibility is the insults in the garage, and I only had to pay for that. I paid for it in my relationship with Roma's ownership, since they had a different approach. At that moment I was already out." Mourinho expressed deep affection for Roma's legendary figures Francesco Totti and Bruno Conti. "Francesco is untouchable. I will always stand behind him," he said. "Roma has a beautiful history with historic players, and I also think of Bruno Conti, whom I love." On the broader question of how top clubs treat their greatest figures, Mourinho acknowledged the complexities: "It's impossible for a club to open its doors to all past glories. I also understand the difficulties when you've had so many." Mourinho discussed his return to the Olimpico as an opponent, emphasising the emotional weight of the fixture. "I don't expect anything special," he said. "I only expect respect. I haven't started preparing for that match yet—neither as a coach nor as a former manager returning home. I haven't thought about it yet. I must defend myself and prepare to do my job well, and to do that I need to try to forget where I am and who I'm playing against. I did this with Inter, for example, or with Chelsea. It's never happened to me at Roma, and I must say it will be different. I'll take the road to the Olimpico as an opponent. It will be the first time I go there without the passion of Roma fans. And I'll have to prepare my players for that. Mine are of the highest level and are used to it, but in Rome there's a different atmosphere, a beautiful one." Mourinho added a pointed remark about Taylor's current role: "Taylor is now match delegate in Turkey. But the chief referee in Turkey was recently convicted and went to prison."

José Mourinho will return to the Olimpico as an opponent for the first time since his Roma departure, arriving on the bench of Real Madrid in a Champions League fixture within a week that will inevitably reignite memories of his connection to the club. In an interview with Ivan Zazzaroni for Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho reflected on his time in Rome and the affection of the supporters, while pinpointing the moment his relationship with the ownership definitively broke down. He spoke of the Conference League trophy Roma won during his tenure as a symbol of that era: "The other day a friend of mine, a procurer, sent me a photo of the Conference that is still at the entrance of the training ground." He also addressed the Europa League final lost to Seville, which he described as the peak of his connection with the fanbase. Mourinho stated: "They have been special with me. I always say: the day I arrived and I saw 1,000 people. I didn't understand why—I hadn't done anything yet. I didn't think I deserved it, but this is Rome and I understood that afterwards." He added: "Our relationship is special because they understood that I didn't care about my image or the relationships I could have with Italian football politics, with the press or with the ownership. I only cared about the good of Roma and the Roman fans. I fought for them, I gave everything." Regarding the Budapest final and its aftermath, Mourinho explained: "After the final, I go on holiday and when I return I am already dead for what the Uefa made me pay. What happened to Taylor at the airport is not my responsibility—what is my responsibility are the insults in the garage, and I should only pay for that." He described that moment as the breaking point with ownership: "And I paid for this in the relationship with Roma's ownership since they had a different approach. In that moment I was already out." On his departure itself, he said: "You know how much Roma's exit hurt me, but there is not a word from me against the club or the ownership. When I leave, I leave clean."