Roma have confirmed the appointment of Jose Mourinho as their new head coach from next season.
One of the most successful managers in the history of football, Mourinho will replace his compatriot Paulo Fonseca in the summer.
Roma announced on Tuesday that Fonseca would be leaving his post at the end of the season and they have wasted no time in finding his replacement – and it is one of the most high-profile names they could have got.
Mourinho, who has signed a contract until 2024, has won 25 trophies in his career to date. In his previous spell in Italy, he won the treble with Inter Milan.
Now he returns to Serie A and will be hoping to revive both his own fortunes after a difficult time with Tottenham and those of the club he is joining.
“Thank you to the Friedkin family for choosing me to lead this great club and to be part of their vision,” Mourinho told asroma.com.
“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!”
Embed from Getty ImagesRoma general manager Tiago Pinto, a fellow Portuguese national, explained why the club had made this decision.
“When José became available, we immediately jumped at the chance to speak with one of the greatest managers of all time,” he said.
“We were blown away by José’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 José 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.”
There had been various rumours about Roma appointing Maurizio Sarri, but they have opted for a different former Chelsea boss instead.
Mourinho has won league titles in England, Spain and Portugal as well as Italy, and will be hoping to be the man to end Roma’s long wait for a trophy.
Of the current Roma squad, the 58-year-old has previously coached Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan at Manchester United, Davide Santon at Inter, and Pedro at Chelsea.
Benvenuto, Jose!
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