Jose Mourinho, the renowned Portuguese manager, was fired for the sixth time in his career, leaving Roma after two and a half years due to a poor run of performance.
The Coppa Italia ended abruptly for the Giallorossi as they were thoroughly outclassed 3-1 by Milan, compounding their dismal season-long play versus city rivals Lazio.
Jose Mourinho Reacts to his Sacking by Roma
Jose Mourinho was fired after he publicly requested a new contract throughout press conferences for the majority of the season, only to have his hopes dashed by the Friedkin ownership group.
In 2022, Jose Mourinho guided Roma to their first championship in 14 years, winning the Conference League on their first try.
For most of his time, the Stadio Olimpico was a sell-out, which won him a place in the hearts of the Roma community.
The former Chelsea manager posted a tearful farewell to his 3.9 million followers on Instagram, showing a montage of his greatest moments.
Tearful shots with star players and the fanbase were clipped together, highlighting the club’s first ever major European trophy. But within that, there may have been a sly message to club president Dan Friedkin.
The post had two hidden messages
Playing over the clip was fitting music from the film Gladiator; however, the song choice raised eyebrows.
The song was ‘Nelle Tue Mani’ by Andrea Bocelli, or ‘Now We Are Free’ in English, which may have been a jibe to the owners.
There was also a message to the fans inside a caption that read: “Sudore, sangue, lacrime, allegria, tristezza, amoR, fratelli, storia, cuore, eternità.”
Those words translate to: “Sweat, blood, tears, joy, sadness, love, brothers, history, heart, eternity.”
The ‘love’ was of particular interest, though, with the last letter of ‘amoR’ capitalised as it reads ‘Roma’ backwards.
Jose Mourinho had regularly played up his bond with the fanbase, calling them the best of his career, and that won’t be forgotten any time soon.
Among those paying tribute to Mourinho in the comments was one of his former Chelsea favorites, Didier Drogba.
“Grande Jose Mourinho,” he wrote. “Forever the Maestro.”