Mourinho: Roma Career Was Dead After Europa League Final, Airport Fiasco Wasn’t My Responsibility

FolioPitch.com – 08 October 2026 | Jose Mourinho has finally broken his silence on his tumultuous exit from AS Roma, revealing that he felt his Mourinho Roma career was dead after Europa League final Airport fiasco wasn t my responsibility for the ugly scenes that unfolded in Budapest. In a candid interview with Corriere dello Sport, the Portuguese manager reflected on his time in the Italian capital, the highs of winning the Conference League, and the lows of the Europa League final defeat to Sevilla that ultimately sealed his fate.

Mourinho, who is set to return to the Stadio Olimpico with Real Madrid in the Champions League, spoke passionately about his bond with the Roma fans and the moment he realized his tenure was over. “The final ends, we go off on holiday, and when I came back, I was already dead,” he said. “With UEFA, I was dead, and they made me pay for something that I wasn’t responsible for.” The manager insists that the Mourinho Roma career was dead after Europa League final Airport fiasco wasn t my responsibility for the harassment of referee Anthony Taylor and his family at the airport the day after the final.

The Europa League final in May 2023 ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Sevilla triumphing on penalties. Mourinho’s post-match rant at referee Taylor in the car park, where he called the officiating a ‘disgrace’, overshadowed the game. The following day, Taylor and his family were confronted by angry Roma supporters at Budapest airport, with chairs thrown in chaotic scenes. Mourinho accepts responsibility for his verbal attack on Taylor but draws the line at the airport incident. “I was responsible for the insults I gave to the referee in the car park, and for that, I should have paid,” he admitted. “I shouldn’t have had to pay for what happened at the airport because it wasn’t my fault, but I paid for that too.”

The fallout from the final strained Mourinho’s relationship with the Roma ownership, the Friedkin family. He believes that the Mourinho Roma career was dead after Europa League final Airport fiasco wasn t my responsibility for the airport chaos, yet he was still held accountable. “It cost my relationship with the owners, who had a different sort of profile and a different approach to mine after the final,” he explained. “I came back and I was already dead. A few months later, I was out.” Mourinho was dismissed in January 2024, midway through his third season, despite leading Roma to back-to-back European finals.

Despite the bitter ending, Mourinho holds no ill will towards Roma. “I have never had and will never have a bad word to say against Roma, I don’t have any bad words to say about the ownership,” he stated. He did admit to making a negative comment about former sporting director Thiago Pinto, for which he apologized. “When I leave, I like to leave cleanly,” he added. “I came out of it well and still feel like it will always be a home to me, even if it no longer is.”

Mourinho’s affection for the Roma tifosi remains undiminished. He recalled his arrival at Malpensa airport, where 1,000 fans greeted him before he had even taken charge of a match. “They were special with me,” he said. “I was thinking ‘I haven’t done anything yet, I’ve just got here, I haven’t even played a game yet, I haven’t won a single point for these people’. That had an impact, I didn’t deserve that.” He believes the fans understood his commitment. “They understood that for me it was only ever about Roma and the Roma fans. I fought for them and gave everything.”

The pinnacle of his reign was the 2022 Conference League triumph, Roma’s first major European trophy and their first piece of silverware in 14 years. “We won a competition that perhaps for some clubs who are used to winning all the time, would have had less meaning,” Mourinho noted. “For a team that doesn’t win that much, it means a lot.” A friend recently sent him a photo of the trophy still displayed at Trigoria, the training ground. “It’s the cup that everyone sees on their way into the training ground,” he said proudly.

Now at Real Madrid, Mourinho is preparing for an emotional return to the Olimpico. He described his connection with Real as another homecoming. “Returning to Real Madrid is also a return home, I’d been there for three years, but it feels like 30 because it was a special, special period,” he said. As he faces his former club, Mourinho’s legacy at Roma is a complex mix of triumph and turmoil. Yet one thing is clear: the Mourinho Roma career was dead after Europa League final Airport fiasco wasn t my responsibility for the airport events, but the scars of that day linger.

In conclusion, Mourinho’s time at Roma will be remembered for the highs of European glory and the lows of a painful departure. His insistence that the Mourinho Roma career was dead after Europa League final Airport fiasco wasn t my responsibility for the airport chaos highlights the unresolved tensions that marked the end of his tenure. As he returns to the Olimpico with Real Madrid, the Special One will undoubtedly receive a warm welcome from the fans who still adore him, even if the ownership’s decision to part ways remains a sore point. Mourinho’s legacy in Rome is secure, built on a foundation of passion, trophies, and an unbreakable bond with the Giallorossi faithful.