‘Know little about football’ - Jose Mourinho takes swipe at Roma's American owners & claims he was 'eliminated' following shock sacking

The charismatic Portuguese was relieved of his duties at Stadio Olimpico on January 16. He had delivered Europa Conference League glory to the Italian capital, while also guiding the Giallorossi to the Europa League final in 2023.

His departure left many supporters disappointed, despite struggles for consistency this season, and Mourinho has pointed the finger of blame for his departure firmly in the direction of The Friedkin Group – who are headed up by American billionaire businessman Dan Friedkin.

Discussing the knockout stages of this season’s European competitions, Mourinho has told Football.com: “The European competitions are about to begin, in particular the Champions League, perhaps the most important competition on the world calendar. I won’t be there at these final stages, not because I’ve already been eliminated, but because I was ‘eliminated’ by someone who knows little about football. That’s life, full of ups and downs, and I’m growing, despite the unexpected and unfair dismissal. But I will return, with even more enthusiasm and confidence, for these UEFA matches.”

Mourinho added when asked what advice he would offer to those chasing down continental glory in 2024: “I’ve participated in many matches and have reached the final several times. They are truly special matches, for us coaches, for the fans and, obviously, for the players. I therefore have enough experience and knowledge to know how to move forward, even when we have opponents with a much greater potential than ours. At this stage I always keep in mind, in the first game you always play to win, in the second, you know what you need to go to the next round. Win with one goal, draw or even lose by one or two goals. And knockout matches are managed on this basis.”

Mourinho took in 138 games as Roma boss, picking up 68 wins and major silverware, but now finds himself out of work. He has ruled out an imminent move to the Saudi Pro League, but is being linked with a move to Bayern Munich – which would see him reunited with former Tottenham striker Harry Kane - if Thomas Tuchel is sacked by the Bundesliga giants.