Italian papers react with shock and excitement as Mourinho returns

‘Hail Mou!’: Italian papers react with shock and excitement as Roma announce Jose Mourinho will return to Serie A as their head coach from next season after signing a three-year deal with the capital club

  • AS Roma announced Jose Mourinho as their new boss on Tuesday afternoon 
  • The Portuguese head coach will take charge from Paolo Fonseca this summer  
  • Mourinho only left Tottenham last month, days before the Carabao Cup final
  • Sports papers in Italy heralded the news that he is set for a Serie A return 

The return of Jose Mourinho to Serie A has been greeted with great fanfare in Italy, as sports newspapers herald his return. 

AS Roma announced on Tuesday afternoon that the 58-year-old will be replacing Pailo Fonseca this summer after agreeing a three-year deal, in what is a swift return to management having been sacked by Tottenham only last month. 

It signals the Portuguese head coach’s first stint in Italy since leaving Inter in 2010 having guided them to an historic treble.  

Jose Mourinho has been appointed Roma manager and will take charge for the 2021-22 season


La Gazetta depicted Mourinho as a Roman Emperor, while Tuttosport cheered the news

And reaction across the country was jubilant as one of football’s most famous faces returns.

Gazzetta dello Sport, the country’s most prestigious sports paper, led with the headline ‘Ave Mou’, meaning ‘Hail Mou’ as they depicted the former Chelsea boss as a Roman Emporer. 

It also explains on the front page how Mourinho talked about the passion of the supporters as a huge draw to Stadio Olimpico, carrying some of the quotes from his statement.

In that statement, Mourinho used the phrase ‘Daje Roma’. Daje means come on, and that was a theme throughout the front pages elsewhere in Italy, with both Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport carrying the same terminology.   


Corriere and il Romanista also reacted to the hiring of the Portuguese on Wednesday morning

Corriere made reference to his succesful stint at Inter, pointing out it has been 11 years since his San Siro success, while also suggesting that his three-year contract will be worth £6m-a-year. 

It also carried quotes from the Roma president, Dan Friedkin, who pointed to his record of success as a key element in their decision to hire the, at times, devisive individual. 

Tuttsport focussed on the mood surroiunding the appointment. They described the hiring as a ‘shock decision’ but noted that fans had ‘gone wild’ for the decision. 

In the regional paper, il Romanista, the entire front page was dedicated to the club’s new man, with the headline ‘Dimmi Jose’ – which can be translated into ‘tell me what you want, Jose’.  

Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham two weeks ago, six days out from the Carabao Cup final

Such a swift return to management, while exciting for Roma and Serie A, also has benefits for his former club.

Spurs could save as much as £13million, having originally put Mourinho on gardening leave last month – six days before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. 

The club will now cease paying Mourinho once he officially starts work for Roma at the end of the season – meaning he will not receive anywhere close to the entirety of the £16million payout he was due. 

At Roma, Mourinho can also expect to be working with a host of familiar faces.

Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both played under the Portuguese at Manchester United. He also worked with Pedro at Chelsea. 

Mourinho’s appointment sees him reunite with ex-Manchester United man Chris Smalling




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