Jose Mourinho has hinted that he may leave Roma this summer, amid speculation linking him with a return to Chelsea. The Portuguese manager won the Europa Conference League in his first season at Roma, and his team currently sit fifth in Serie A and will play Feyenoord in the Europa League quarterfinal. Meanwhile, Chelsea are searching for a new manager after sacking Graham Potter on Sunday. It is believed that Chelsea’s recruitment team plan to interview at least five candidates for the role, including former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, ex-Spain and Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique, and Julian Nagelsmann, who was sacked by Bayern Munich last month.
Some Chelsea supporters have called on the club to appoint Mourinho for a third time, and the 60-year-old admits that his future at Roma is uncertain. When asked about his future, Mourinho told DAZN: “I don’t talk to friends, comrades, journalists. If a few months ago our CEO [Pietro] Berardi said he was sure I would stay, that is his interpretation. If this time Mr. Zazzaroni [a journalist] said what he said is an interpretation of him, I’m not talking to anyone. The situation is clear, from a contractual point of view I still have one year on my contract. Football is football, sometimes contracts aren’t the most important thing. All good, all calm, the next one is always the most important game.”
Speaking in February, Roma’s CEO Pietro Berardi said he felt Mourinho would see out his contract with the Serie A club. “Personally I’m convinced that Jose Mourinho will be Roma’s coach next year as well,” he said. “With Mourinho we are halfway through his contract, a year and a half since he signed with us.”
Mourinho has won three Premier League titles in two stints as Chelsea manager.