Author – Amrit Santlani
José Mourinho is quietly building his reputation, far from the glitz and glamor of his past success, but there’s no denying the fact that the Portuguese coach has done an excellent job at AS Roma. The Serie A club won the inaugural UEFA Conference League title last year and, after a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, are just ninety minutes away from reaching another continental cup final.
After his time at Manchester United and Tottenham, Mourinho’s reputation may have been dented, but the “special one” slowly and steadily transformed Roma into a powerful force.
If the Serie A giants reach the Europa League final, it will be the sixth European final in Mourinho’s career and a chance to win Roma’s second piece of silverware after a long wait of 14 years without a single trophy. Among them, Paris Saint-Germain.
With Mourinho’s contract with Roma set to expire in 2024, there has been much speculation linking the former Chelsea coach with PSG, who are in a complicated situation. Kylian Mbappe is being linked to Real Madrid again, the club’s ultras have protested against Lionel Messi and Neymar, and the club is nowhere near winning the UEFA Champions League trophy that the Parisians have wanted for so long.
After beating Leverkusen, Mourinho was asked about the PSG job, but laughed off the calls with the 60-year-old, saying,“If they called, they didn’t find me,” according to Sky Sport Italia.
Despite the recent ups and downs in his career, Mourinho has won many trophies in his career. With no disrespect to Roma, the Portuguese could be looking to return to the big clubs, competing in the Champions League.
“I think Mourinho sees Roma as a way to recover for another big job,” Italian journalist James Horncastle said recently on the Euro League podcast.
“He would like to have a project that is in keeping with his legacy again, which would be the chance to play in the Champions League,” added Horncastle.