Jose Mourinho sacked by Roma after poor run of results, Daniele De Rossi appointed as new head coach

Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Roma after a disappointing run in Serie A while former player Daniele De Rossi has been named as his replacement.

The Portuguese manager guided the club to the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022, following it up with a run to the UEFA Europa League final a year later, but the club have endured a difficult season this time around and are ninth in the league.

"We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club," said Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin.

"We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.

"We wish Jose and his assistants all the best in their future endeavours."

Later on Tuesday, the club confirmed that De Rossi, who was mostly recently in charge of SPAL, will take charge until the end of the current campaign.

De Rossi spent 18 years at Roma during his playing career where he won two Coppa Italia titles and a Supercoppa.

He was also part of Italy's World Cup winning squad in 2006 and part of the coaching staff that guided the nation to win the delayed 2020 Euros.

"I would like to thank the Friedkin family for entrusting me with the responsibility of Roma's head coach role," De Rossi said in a statement.

"From my side, I know no other way but dedication, daily sacrifices, and giving everything I have in order to face the challenges that await us from now until the end of the season. The excitement of being able to sit on our bench is indescribable. Everyone knows what Roma means to me.

"However, the work that awaits us all has already taken precedence. We have no time or choice but to be competitive, fight for our goals, and try to achieve them, which are the only priorities my staff and I have set for ourselves.”

The Italian will take charge of his first match when Roma host Verona on Saturday evening at the Stadio Olimpico, live on TNT Sports.

The Giallorossi are without a win in their last three matches in all competitions and suffered back-to-back defeats prior to Mourinho's dismissal, the latest a 3-1 loss at AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday.

Their inconsistent recent form has left them ninth in the table and five points off the Champions League qualification spots. There have been just two victories in their last seven top flight matches.

Mourinho's contract was up at the end of the season and until last month, there was speculation he would sign a new deal. He was due to return from a touchline ban for Saturday's game with Hellas Verona, having been given a one-match suspension following a second red card in four days during the Coppa Italia derby defeat to Lazio.

He was appointed Roma head coach in May 2021, less than a month after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur. He guided the club to sixth place finishes in the past two seasons, but has missed key players through injury in this campaign - including Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling.

The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss claimed before Sunday's defeat at Milan that his strong track record for winning trophies meant supporters wanted too much from their side - comparing himself to Harry Potter.

"The Roma fans are the most incredible I have ever seen, the coach is called Jose Harry Mourinho Potter, and he raises expectations," Mourinho said.

"We are fighting a very difficult battle, but nobody will tell us we can’t fight."

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