Mourinho '100 percent ready' for new challenge says Fabrizio Romano

Jose Mourinho is not expected to be out of work for long with offers in the pipeline from Saudi Arabia’s Pro League and potential interest from top European sides, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Special One bid an emotional goodbye to Roma last month having been relieved of his duties by club owner Dan Friedken amid a tumultuous season for the Italian capital side.

A 3-1 defeat to AC Milan left Roma a long way adrift of the European qualification positions, in ninth place in the Serie A table, and despite two European finals in two seasons, Mourinho was unceremoniously sacked.

Roma won the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League under the Portuguese manager, their first major continental honour since the Inter-City Fairs Cup back in 1961, and reached the Europa League final last season where they were beaten by Sevilla.

Mourinho rejected 'craziest offer' in history

Mourinho had a contract which was due to expire in summer 2024 and he was always consistent in declaring his love for Roma and in his insistence that he would see out his contract.

Last year he revealed that two Saudi Pro League offers crossed his desk, believed to be Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, with the latter reported to be worth around €30 million a season.

"I decided to turn both down as I want to stay at Roma," he told the press at the time.

There was also an offer to coach the Saudi national team, reckoned to be the largest management contract in football history, worth around €120m over two years.

"In the summer I had the biggest, most important and craziest job offer that a coach has ever had in the history of football," Mourinho said earlier this season.

It is also claimed by the 61-year-old that he turned down the Portugal national team job in order to continue his work at Roma before the opportunity eventually went to Roberto Martinez.

“I refused great working opportunities,” he told the Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE podcast this week. “The first one was even very, very hard to refuse because it was Portugal, and Portugal is probably the best national team ever. Three years before a World Cup.”

Following Roma’s decision to part company with Mourinho, he was offered the chance to succeed Igor Biscan at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Shabab.

He is reported to have turned that chance down and eventually Vitor Pereira, his compatriot, was convinced to take over on a short-term deal until the end of the season. It remains to be seen whether the Riyadh side will come back for Mourinho.

And now Fabrizio Romano has claimed that while Mourinho may well sit out the season if no major European offer comes he is nonetheless ready for a new challenge.

“Jose Mourinho is 100 percent open to a new chapter, for sure,” Romano told his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside. “He feels ready.

“But my job is to tell everyone what’s going on right now, and Mourinho is not negotiating with any club at the moment, despite links with Al Shabab in the past few weeks.

“It’s still quiet, preparing for the summer as the Saudis could return, but let’s see what happens with European clubs before then.”