Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho insists he is now "much less ego-centric" since moving to Roma last summer.
Mourinho and his current club became the inaugural winners of the Europa Conference League last month, seeing off Dutch side Feyenoord in last month’s final with a 1-0 win in Tirana, Albania. Roma finished sixth in the Serie A table during the 2021/22 campaign, qualifying them for next season’s Europa League, reaching the competition after finishing a point ahead of Fiorentina in seventh place.
Prior to his move to the Italian capital, Mourinho had four managerial stints in England, two with Chelsea, one with Man United and most recently, a spell in north London with Tottenham Hotspur.
While in England, a series of incidents involving the charismatic Portuguese manager saw him earn a reputation of being quite a fiery character. However, he has mellowed during his season with Roma, admitting his focus is now on prioritising others rather than himself.
Speaking to postgraduate students at a press conference on High Performance Football Coaching at Lisbon University, where he is a course co-ordinator (as published by the Daily Mail ), Mourinho feels he has become more chilled during his time at the Stadio Olimpico.
“I became much less ego-centric, becoming a person who lives much more for others than for myself,” said the Portuguese manager.
How will Roma fare in the Europa League next season? Have your say in the comments section.
Roma’s Mourinho-inspired win saw him become the first ever manager to win all three of Europe’s three club competitions, the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
While it was the lowest ranked of European club titles he has won, for him, it felt just as good as winning the Champions League, something he achieved with both Porto and Inter Milan earlier in this career. “It made me feel like, maybe, I never felt,” Mourinho added. “It was our Champions League.”
Roma’s form last season was down to the impressive debut season made by ex-Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. The England international scored 27 goals in all competitions, with 17 coming in Serie A and nine more coming in Roma’s Europa Conference League winning side. That form has continued links with him and a move to Arsenal, with the former Aston Villa loanee currently on international duty ahead of upcoming meetings with Hungary, Germany and Italy.
Another player who could depart Roma this summer is winger Nicolo Zaniolo, who scored the winner in the Europa final. The Italian international is said to be ready to leave the club and AC Milan and Juventus have both been credited with interest. Newcastle have reportedly had a bid rejected, but Zaniolo is said to not be keen on a move to the Premier League.
