Jose Mourinho stated publicly for the first time that he wants to extend his contract at Roma — casting aside speculation that the veteran coach could be headed to a lucrative deal in cash-rich Saudi Arabia.
But the 60-year-old coach’s pledge came with a caveat.
“I want to continue at Roma. And if I stay at Roma we’ve got to really think hard about the financial fair play limitations we have, because maybe it’s better to work with younger players and give them some chances,” Mourinho told Serie A rights holder DAZN after Roma was beaten 2-0 at Bologna on Sunday.
“That could present an opportunity for development, compared to players who have nothing left to develop. I want to continue and I’m open to a new approach,” Mourinho added.
“When everyone is available we have sufficient quality to fight it out. We didn’t finish fourth last season because we reached a European final and we had a lot of physical issues,” Mourinho said after a game in which Roma was missing Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala. “Without fundamental players, obviously it’s tough for us.”
Roma finished sixth in Serie A last season.
Mourinho’s three-year deal at Roma expires after this season and Roma’s American owners have given no indication on their plans for the coach.
While Mourinho guided Roma to European finals in both of his first two seasons at the club — winning the inaugural Conference League in 2022 and finishing runner-up to Seville in the Europa League last season — he’s also had a series of suspensions for his verbal and at times vicious verbal attacks on referees.
“We haven’t talked about it. You are the first person I have said this to,” Mourinho told a DAZN reporter when asked if he’s told the club yet of his desire to stay.
Mourinho added that Roma’s fans, who travel to away games en masse throughout Italy and Europe, are “special.”
“It would always be tough for me to separate from them,” he said. “If the separation has to happen, it would never be because of my own choice.”
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