SOUR NOTE
Jose Mourinho hands Roma stars staggeringly bitter nine-word note after ‘feeling betrayed’ by sacking
The Portuguese has been tipped for a huge new job
BITTER Jose Mourinho left Roma on a sour note... quite literally.
The Portuguese was sacked by the Serie A side last month amid a dismal run of form and a string of baffling outbursts.
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Mourinho, 61, was tearful as he left Roma's training ground for the final time.
Following his departure he posted a video montage of his period at the club to social media.
He captioned it: "Sweat, blood, tears, joy, sadness, love, brothers, history, heart, eternity."
According to reports in Italy, his leaving message for his players was remarkably more cold.
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After winning the Europa Conference League in 2022, Mourinho received a ring from his players.
The former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham manager was thrilled to have returned to winning ways following his side's final victory over Feyenoord.
But according to Italian outlet Il Messaggero, following his sacking, he gave the ring back.
They claim that Mourinho left the ring in skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini's locker on his way out.
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It's even added that he accompanied it with a note reading: "When you are men, give it back to me."
Just weeks after his Roma sacking, Mourinho snubbed a quick return to management with Saudi side Al-Shabab.
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Over the weekend, disgruntled Chelsea fans sang his name during their side's dismal 4-2 defeat to Wolves at Stamford Bridge.
According to his old mate Alan Pardew, Mourinho would be up for a third stint at Stamford Bridge, should the job become available.
His former player Mario Melchiot, however, believes it would take the England job to tempt Mourinho back to these shores.
The Dutchman, 47, told Ladbrokes Fanzone: "Do I see him coming back to England? I'm not sure. Why would he? He has done so many great things in this country.
"He had two spells in charge of Chelsea and was successful in both, he's also managed Manchester United and Tottenham before going out to Italy.
"I just don't know what else he'd need to prove in England. What is he going to do next? Go to Liverpool? Probably not. I suppose the only job he might take in England, now, is the national job.
"It's something that has been spoken about in the past and, personally, I think that would just come down to what the FA want from their next manager."
Inside Jose Mourinho's last days in Rome
By Kealan Hughes and Etienne Fermie
Jose Mourinho hit out at officials and managers towards the end of his tenure, which was marred by ill discipline.
He received three red cards in 2022-23 and three more this term, including in a feisty Rome derby defeat to Lazio.
The Portuguese was sent off in the match prior to that against Atalanta and also against Monza, after which he told opposite number Raffaele Palladino: “You talk a lot and then you cry.”
Last term, Mourinho tore into Serie A whistler Daniele Chiffi after claiming to have "worn a wire" in order to protect himself from sanctions.
The former Chelsea, Man Utd and Tottenham boss said of Chiffi: "He is the worst referee I have met in my life.
"He is the worst. Technically he’s horrible. Zero empathy. Zero communication. Zero awareness.”
As his tenure began to unravel, the Italian media also found themselves in Mourinho's firing line.
Following a 2-1 win over Sassuolo in December last year he refused to speak Italian after the match, despite being fluent.
Instead, he bizarrely only spoke Portuguese, with an interpreter translating for confused local reporters.
A few weeks later things spiralled even further, with Mourinho snubbing the media altogether after his red card against Atalanta.
Mourinho received incredible backing from the Roma fanbase, but some began to tire of his antics this season.
With unrest growing further after Lazio dumped his side out of the Coppa Italia, Mourinho bizarrely compared himself to a fictional wizard.
He said: "The Roma fans are the most incredible I have seen. Their coach is Jose 'Harry Potter' Mourinho and he raises expectations."
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