'Not possible to work normally with Jose Mourinho' - Tiago Pinto lifts lid on relationship with 'demanding' former Roma boss as he admits he's still not 'at peace' after resigning as Serie A club's sporting director

Mourinho endured a turbulent two-and-a-half-year spell in Italy. He led the club to two European finals - and ended an 11-year trophy drought, though he also made headlines for his touchline antics, fractious relationship with the club, and high-profile clashes with referees.

Pinto, who consistently clashed with his manager in his press, spoke to I Newsabout Mourinho's tenure in Italy: "Don’t get me wrong, when you work with a man with such a huge profile, it’s demanding. And he is demanding because he has achieved so much and has high standards. Don’t forget that I’m Portuguese and I started to work with him when I was 36. For a young sporting director to work normally with Mourinho, it’s not possible. I learned a lot from him. He’s one of the most important managers in the history of football."

Pinto also admitted he found it difficult to leave the club: "When I left Roma I thought a lot about it and I just felt it was the right time, the end of a cycle. But when I made my decision everyone close to me said: ‘Knowing you like we do, I doubt you will be at peace after two weeks’. I think they were probably right."

Mourinho struggled through the first half of the 2023-24 season. The Giallorossi hovered above the relegation in September, and although the manager dragged the club up to ninth, a series of poor results saw him sacked on January 16.

Mourinho has been linked with a number of jobs since leaving Roma. Talk has cropped up of a potential Chelsea return, while his name has been mentioned around the soon-to-be vacant Bayern Munich post.