With Roma now sitting tenth in Serie A, Jose Mourinho has been fired as manager of the team.
After assuming leadership in May 2021, the 60-year-old Portuguese guided Roma to the Europa Conference League title the following year and the Europa League final in 2023.
However, they remain five points outside of the final Champions League qualification slot in Serie A, and last week, they were eliminated by city rivals Lazio from the Coppa Italia.
Mourinho was praised by owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin “for the passion and commitment he has shown” in his role as manager.
“We will always have great memories of his stewardship, but we believe that, in the best interests of the club, immediate change is necessary,” the statement read.
After being shown the red card for the second time in as many games against Lazio, Mourinho likened himself to Harry Potter and implied that his popularity was “raising expectations” for what Roma could do.
After that, AC Milan defeated Roma 3-1 in the league on Sunday, dropping Roma to fifth place behind fourth-place Fiorentina and earning him a dismissal.
Roma’s first major European trophy was achieved with victory in the 2022 Conference League, which also garnered Mourinho a great deal of support from the club’s supporters.
However, the Italian team had a dismal start to the current campaign, taking just five points from their first six Serie A games after losing to Sevilla on penalties in the Europa League final last season.
The former manager of Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Tottenham said he had turned down the “craziest offer” to quit last summer, with Roma currently sitting 16th in the standings.
The current season’s conclusion marked the expiration of Mourinho’s contract.