BREAKING: AS Roma appoint Mourinho as head coach

AS Roma have appointed Jose Mourinho as their new head coach ahead of next season.

Mourinho was fired as Spurs boss after a string of poor results that all but ruled out the North London side from a highly coveted top-4 finish.

Mourinho will replace his fellow Portuguese compatriot, Paulo Fonseca who will step down at the end of the 2020/2021 Serie A season after joining Roma in 2019.

The statement reads: “AS Roma are delighted to announce an agreement has been reached with Jose Mourinho to become the club’s new head coach.

Jose Mourinho has agreed to a three-year contract with the Giallorossi that will run until 30 June 2024.

He will begin his new role ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

“We are thrilled and delighted to welcome Jose Mourinho into the AS Roma family,” club president Dan Friedkin and vice-president Ryan Friedkin said.

“A great champion who has won trophies at every level, Jose will provide tremendous leadership and experience to our ambitious project.

“The appointment of Jose is a huge step in building a long-term and consistent winning culture throughout the club.”

Mourinho, 58, is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport – having won 25 major trophies in his career to date.

The list of clubs he has previously managed includes FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

“Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision,” Mourinho said.

“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!”

Mourinho is one of only three managers to date to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different clubs, a feat he has also repeated in the UEFA Europa League.

He is a three-time winner of the Premier League (with Chelsea in 2005, 2006, and 2015), while he has also won top-flight titles in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

“When Jose became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time,” said Tiago Pinto, Roma’s General Manager (Football).

“We were blown away by Jose’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 Jose 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.”

Mourinho taking over the reins at Roma sees him make a return to the Serie A after an 11-year absence, where he had a successful spell in charge of Inter Milan from 2008-2010 where he delivered a treble including the Serie A and UEFA Champions League title in 2010.