Mourinho on Roma: 'The most beautiful place of my career'

A new Netflix documentary about José Mourinho became available today, featuring three episodes covering his time at Porto, Chelsea and Inter. The film also includes reflection on his period at Roma, where Mourinho discussed his tenure three years ago. Mourinho drew a parallel between his early work at Porto and his Roma appointment, framing both around achieving objectives aligned with each club's potential. He spoke of having promised to deliver a "small miracle" at Roma, distinguishing his achievements from the greatest feats. "With my career I have won the right to be happy," Mourinho said. "I won't have won the Champions League at Roma, but I was happy. When things go badly, they go badly." The documentary's first season does not cover his full managerial portfolio but focuses on his trophy-winning spells across his three featured clubs.

Roma are close to finalizing the signing of Rodrigo Mora from Porto, with negotiations on the fee and future conditions nearing completion. The deal is reported to be worth €25 million, with potential adjustments to the sell-on clause—potentially lowering it from 50% to 40%—or the inclusion of an option for Roma to cancel the arrangement next year by paying additional funds. Mora is viewed as a Gasperini priority, with the coach seeking players who shoot frequently to increase Roma's attacking potential. Radio commentators offered mixed assessments of the transfer. Piero Torri stated: "We are not far from closing the deal for Rodrigo Mora. The boy comes from a singular growth trajectory where in the first year he performed very well while in the past season he was on the bench and I have doubts about the fee invested for the Portuguese player's transfer." Alessandro Vocalelli suggested Mora's arrival is somewhat incongruous with Roma's short-term ambitions, noting the squad has improved but remains incomplete for a title challenge. Franco Melli and others agreed Roma have strengthened defensively but lack sufficient firepower to compete for the Scudetto. Other potential targets discussed include left-back Udogie on loan with a buy option, though uncertainty remains over final attacking additions. Roberto Pruzzo warned against a repeat of the Robinio Vaz situation, where a costly acquisition underperformed.

José Mourinho has discussed his time managing Roma in a new Netflix docuseries titled The Special One, reflecting on a career that culminated in winning the UEFA Europa Conference League. Speaking about his spell at the club, Mourinho recalled the objectives he set upon arrival and his success in delivering them. "Quello che ho fatto al Porto a inizio carriera l'ho rifatto alla Roma tre anni fa. In ogni situazione ci sono obiettivi in relazione al potenziale. Questi obiettivi, io avevo promesso che li avrei raggiunti. Un piccolo miracolo. Quelli grandi? Li fa Gesù Cristo," he said, comparing his approach at Roma to his early work at Porto. "Con la mia carriera ho vinto il diritto di essere felice. Non avrei vinto la Champions League a Roma, ma sono stato felice. Quando le cose vanno male, vanno male." Mourinho's Roma tenure delivered the Conference League title, a historic achievement for the club. He characterised the accomplishment as a "small miracle" given the club's resources and potential, emphasising that while he could not have won the Champions League at Rome, he found happiness in what was achieved. The documentary provides an insight into Mourinho's reflections on a career defined by winning mentality and the pursuit of realistic objectives relative to each club's capacity.