THEN IN ROME
Jose Mourinho named Roma manager on three-year contract starting next season just two weeks after Tottenham sacking
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JOSE MOURINHO has been named as the new Roma boss ahead of next season.
The Special One was sacked by Spurs just two weeks ago after 17 months in charge with Tottenham's chances of qualifying for Europe hanging in the balance.
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The Italian side announced Paulo Fonseca would leave the club at the end of the season earlier on Tuesday before confirming the Portuguese would be his replacement on a three-year deal ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
Mourinho has already signed on as SunSport's columnist for the delayed Euros and will also be heard on talkSPORT during the summer tournament.
Roma president Dan Friedkin and vice president Ryan Friedkin said: "We are thrilled and delighted to welcome José Mourinho into the AS Roma family.
"A great champion who has won trophies at every level, José will provide tremendous leadership and experience to our ambitious project.
“The appointment of José is a huge step in building a long-term and consistent winning culture throughout the club."
Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Spurs just six days before the Carabao Cup final which the club lost 1-0 to Manchester City under the guidance of interim boss Ryan Mason, 29.
The former Manchester United and Chelsea boss said the vision of a winning project and the passion of the Roma fans attracted him to the role in Serie A.
Mourinho previously managed Inter Milan in the Italian league and signed off with a treble in 2010 with Roma coincidentally being the last side to defeat his Inter team in Serie A.
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Mourinho, 58, added: "Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision.
"After meetings with the ownership and Tiago Pinto, I immediately understood the full extent of their ambitions for AS Roma.
"It is the same ambition and drive that has always motivated me and together we want to build a winning project over the upcoming years.
"The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job and I cannot wait to start next season.
“In the meantime, I wish Paulo Fonseca all the best and I hope the media appreciate that I will only speak further in due course. Daje Roma!”
Roma's general manager Tiago Pinto revealed the club, who are seventh in Serie A with four games to play, jumped at the chance to appoint Mourinho.
The incredible passion of the Roma fans convinced me to accept the job and I cannot wait to start next season."
Jose Mourinho
He said: "When José became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time.
"We were blown away by José’s desire to win and his passion for the game: no matter how many trophies he has won, his primary focus is always on the next one.
"He possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to compete at all levels.
"We know that in order to build a successful sporting project it takes time, patience and the right people in the right positions.
"We are supremely confident that José will be the perfect coach for our project, for both our immediate and long-term future.
"Together with the vision and ambition of Dan and Ryan Friedkin, we will build the foundations of a new AS Roma."
Roma were thrashed 6-2 by United at Old Trafford in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final last week.
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The Italians were ahead 2-1 at the break and looked well poised to continue Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's semi-final hoodoo.
But Fonseca's men were thumped 5-0 in the second-half to all but end their hopes of making the final.
Mourinho could even be in the stands in the Olympic Stadium for the return leg on Thursday.
Chris Smalling endured a nightmare return to Manchester after joining Roma permanently at the start of the season.
The defender upended Edinson Cavani to give away a penalty that Bruno Fernandes dispatched to make it 4-2.
And the 31-cap England international may not be best pleased to see his old boss Mourinho follow him to the Italian capital after the pair enjoyed a frosty relationship while together at Carrington.
Mourinho criticised Smalling for not playing through the pain along with Luke Shaw and even when praising the centre-back jokingly made fun of his haircut.
Another man in the same boat is Henrikh Mkhitaryan who publicly bashed Mourinho's defensive style before he left for Arsenal in the swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move the other way in 2018.
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Spurs are yet to replace Mourinho after seeing their top three targets all rule themselves out of the managerial vacancy.
Julian Nagelsmann has agreed to swap RB Leizpig for Bayern Munich while Leicester's Brendan Rodgers said he wanted to stay at the Foxes and SunSport revealed that Spurs realised he would have been too expensive to prise away from the King Power.
Ajax's Erik ten Hag signed a new deal in Amsterdam to quash speculation he would be given the Tottenham job on a permanent basis.
Roma will task Mourinho with leading the side to their first Scudetto in over 20 years.
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Mourinho will aim to help Roma to their first league title since Francesco Totti skippered the side to glory under the guidance of former Three Lions boss Fabio Capello in 2000-01.
He will have to overthrow his replacement at Chelsea, Antonio Conte, after Inter Milan ended Juventus' run of nine titles in a row over the weekend.
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