icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
3 Jul, 2021 14:57

Ex-Chelsea and Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho appears to make dig at ‘foreign ownership’ of his former clubs in first Roma interview

Ex-Chelsea and Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho appears to make dig at ‘foreign ownership’ of his former clubs in first Roma interview

New Roma boss Jose Mourinho has appeared to take a swipe at the "foreign ownership" of his previous clubs, which include Chelsea and Manchester United, while claiming he is a "much better" coach than he was when he left Italy.

The Portuguese joined the Serie A giants in May after being sacked by English Premier League Spurs and has finally touching down to started in the Italian capital for next season before the weekend.

Speaking at length publicly with his new employers for the first time, the notoriously provocative coach touched on a number of hot topics with comments that may ruffle a few feathers.

"Since the first day," Mourinho answered, when asked if he had been excited to take over the reins at Roma.

"And I really mean it – since the first day. Since the first day I met the owners and [general manager] Tiago [Pinto], I had immediately this very positive feeling. And that means a lot to me.

"So that enthusiasm is based on, of course, the conversations we had, the ideas we exchanged, but also on something I value a lot: which is the human feelings. Empathy. Since day one, I have been looking forward to the real day one – which is the first day that I arrive in Rome."

As he did at Manchester United, Mourinho will work with American billionaires at Roma in the form of club owners Ryan and Dan Friedkin, of the Friedkin Group.

Pushed into elaborating on whether it had been "human feelings" that persuaded him to accept Roma's offer, Mourinho said that it was "also ideas, information and questions and answers from both sides" that were influential.

"I left our [initial] conversation with the feeling that this is not the Friedkins’ project, this is not a Jose Mourinho project, this is not a Tiago Pinto project, this is an AS Roma project. That was my feeling. And that is something that I was really impressed about.

"As you know, during my career I have had different experiences and I have worked with clubs in similar situations, with let’s say a ‘foreign’ ownership, and I was impressed by the fact that Mr Friedkin and his son [Ryan] were always speaking about the Roma fans," he added, in what could be taken as a subtle nod to other past owners at his former clubs, such as the Glazers at Manchester United and Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.

"They were not speaking about themselves, they were not speaking about their project, they were speaking about the fans.

"On so many occasions, you feel that the owners speak about the clubs like ‘their clubs’ – which, in reality, by one point of view is true – but I found them speaking about the club for the Romanisti, and it is for them that we want to make it.

"And that was very, very important for me because, of course, I know the reality. 

After his car mobbed on arrival in a hero's welcome, Mourinho said: “I know the fans, I know the passion, and, since day one, I felt the project is…if you feel it as a project of ‘I am going to arrive tomorrow and win the day after tomorrow’ then that is not a project.

"But this is a project where the owners want to leave a legacy; they want to do something important for the club in a very sustainable way. Creating the basis for success.

“Hopefully that success arrives with me, because the contract is a three-year contract – or the first contract is, and maybe there will be a second one day. So I hope that the results of our work will come during my time. I really want that to happen. But let’s go step-by-step.

"I am very happy to belong to this project; which, I repeat, is not anyone’s project, but is the AS Roma project."

After rising to prominence at Porto, Mourinho's next big job after Chelsea was at Roma's rivals, Inter Milan, where he won a first ever Italian treble including the Champions League.

Despite his struggles of the last few years – including doomed short stints at United and Tottenham – suggesting otherwise, Mourinho boldly claimed that he is a "much better" manager than that success-soaked period at the turn of the 2010s.

"I am serious," Mourinho stressed. "I am much better now, because I think this is a job where experience means a lot.  

"Experience – it looks like everything becomes deja vu because you go through so many experiences.

"Since I left Italy, I went to Real Madrid, which was an incredible experience, and I reached my dream of winning in Italy, England and Spain. Then back to England, which is my family base, and where I wanted to return.

"You know, I have even had the extreme experience of taking a team to a final and not playing the final – which is something that I thought would never happen in my career. And it happened," he highlighted, of being dismissed by Spurs before they lost last season's League Cup final to Manchester City.

"So, with so many experiences, and learning in the good moments and the bad moments, I am much more prepared now than I was. It is the kind of job where you can only get better until the day where you lose your motivation.

"That is the only thing that can make a football coach decide to stop, or to stop learning. That is not my case: very far from it, I am still learning every day – so I think I am much better.

"It is one thing to come to a country for the first time and you arrive at level zero and you have everything to learn about it. In my case, that’s not the case.

"I know Italy as a country, I know Italy as a football culture, I know something about Roma because in my time in Italy, Roma was the real rival. It was the team close to us fighting for the titles.

"So I think I am in a better position now than I was when I landed in Italy for the first time back in 2008," he insisted.

Ready to get stuck into his new assignment, Mourinho now has the tall order on his hands of knocking defending champions Inter off their perch – although bitter rival Antonio Conte won't be in the opposite dugout after leaving shortly after the title was secured following a row over transfer policy.

Roma finished a modest seventh in Serie A last season, trailing Inter by a chasmic 29 points.

Also on rt.com Football star has to have surgery after ‘unprovoked attack by autograph-hunting woman who threw liquid in his face at his home’
Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57