Jose Mourinho sacked by Roma

Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Roma manager with the club ninth in Serie A, according to the BBC.

The Portuguese, 60, took over in May 2021 and led Roma to the Europa Conference League title a year later and the Europa League final in 2023.

But they are five points off Serie A’s final Champions League qualifying spot and last week were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by city rivals Lazio.

Owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin thanked Mourinho “for the passion and commitment he has shown” as boss.

“We will always have great memories of his stewardship, but we believe that, in the best interests of the club, immediate change is necessary,” they added in a statement.

After the cup loss to Lazio, Mourinho compared himself to Harry Potter, suggesting his profile was “raising expectations” for what Roma could achieve.

That result was followed by a 3-1 league defeat by AC Milan on Sunday which left Roma five points adrift of fourth-placed Fiorentina.