Jose Mourinho: Is the combative Roma boss Serie A favourite?

The fanfare that accompanied Jose Mourinho’s unveiling at Roma in July may have surprised a plethora of ardent followers of Europe’s other top divisions.

Ask Premier League enthusiasts, especially, and they’ll tell you the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur boss’ stock has fallen in the last few seasons. 

Not in Italy, however, where the Portuguese tactician remains revered as ever — and, perhaps, for good reason. Hitherto the ex-Porto manager’s time at Inter Milan, the treble remained elusive. Well-celebrated managers like Arrigo Sacchi, Marcello Lippi, Fabio Capello, Giovanni Trapattoni and Carlo Ancelotti never won the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia in the same season.

It has remained that way, too, since Mourinho’s 2009/10 historic season with Inter, despite Massimiliano Allegri’s coming awfully close with Juventus in 2015 and 2017. 

Both managers will face-off in the imminent 2021/22 campaign and the stakes have never been higher. This year’s Serie A title race is wide open with as many as seven clubs probably making a case for their Scudetto chances. 

Inter Milan — last year’s winners after an 11-year wait — will back themselves despite losing key players in Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, the Old Lady will want to reclaim a title they’d won nine times on the trot before relinquishing under Andrea Pirlo last season and AC Milan will desire the needed season-long consistency this time around. 

Throw in Atalanta under the irrepressible Gian Piero Gasparini, who’s constantly got the Bergamo outfit punching above their weight, Napoli entering as outsiders under new boss Luciano Spalletti and Lazio under the much-maligned Maurizio Sarri and you understand the excitement surrounding Serie A's return this weekend. 

Mourinho — despite the broadly underwhelming nature of recent years after things turned sour Chelsea and Manchester United, as well as the confusing time in North London at Spurs — does fancy a challenge. 

On the one hand, you still believe one of the brilliant tactical minds of the 2000s and 2010s has what it takes to get Roma challenging for the Scudetto. However, such a claim will be met with derision by others who reckon this new adventure is a disaster waiting to happen. 

Unsurprisingly, the ex-Real Madrid boss was typically on-brand at his opening press conference after taking over the Rome side. 

“I am a victim of everything I have done before. I am a victim of how people look at me now, unfortunately,” Mourinho asserted at his unveiling in July. “At Manchester United, I won three trophies and it was called a disaster.

"At Tottenham, after arriving in a tough moment, I reached a final that I was unable to lead the side out in. What is a disaster for me would be an amazing achievement for others.

“What is a disaster for me, others have never done in their life. It’s my fault.” 

On the Giallorossi’s target this season, the 58-year-old stated: “The targets? Speaking in a very pragmatic way, our first target is to win the first competitive game we have. Then after that, we will think about the next target.

“There is a job to be done, this team and this club need to improve every day. We have started in that regard with all the infrastructure at Trigoria.

“So that is our objective: every day we need to do better and to be better.” 

Depending on where you stand with the former Chelsea trainer, his assessment of his time in England is going to be met with a nod of approval or criticism of his evaluation awfully devoid of any context. 

Having said that, Mourinho has to back himself to at least guide a side that ended disappointingly in seventh last season back into the Champions League. This season will mark Roma’s third year without experiencing CL football, a situation that would have been out of the ordinary in the mid-to-late 2010s. 

After participating in 2010/11, the capital club missed out for three seasons before going on a five-year run from 14/15 to 18/19. Without a doubt, after another three years without playing in Europe’s hallowed club competition, the Portuguese trainer knows a return to the continent’s premier club competition in 2022/23 has to be the minimum goal. 

Be that as it may, could he even aim higher and hope to challenge for the Scudetto? 

Of last year’s top seven — Inter, Milan, Atalanta, Juventus, Napoli, Lazio and Roma — only Gasparini and Stefano Pioli remain. 

Simone Inzaghi, Edin Dzeko and Denzel Dumfries have replaced Antonio Conte, Lukaku and Hakimi respectively at the Nerazzurri but there’s a feeling their replacements are a notch in quality below the individuals they replaced. Regardless, you expect the defending champions to be competitive and Inzaghi’s preference for a three-man defence indicates a level of continuity. 

Max Allegri’s Old Lady side are perhaps just about favourites for the title, but the experienced Italian is returning to a side in transition and may find the campaign complicated. 

The Naples outfit missed out on a top four spot on the final day of last season and will look to return to the CL under Spalletti. Victor Osimhen’s pre-season form and the manager’s tendency to get the best out of central strikers bodes well for the Azzurri’s season. 

Lazio are a rather interesting prospect, especially as Sarri’s arrival is likely to precipitate a switch away from Inzaghi’s favoured three-man defence. The quick assimilation or otherwise of the 62-year-old’s ideas will make or mar the capital club’s season. 

As for Mourinho, he — like every other manager jostling for the CL spots or even the title — has a flawed side and several challenges to overcome. 

Will Tammy Abraham — Serie A’s most expensive summer arrival so far — thrive in his debut season outside England? Will Nicolo Zaniolo return to his best after a double anterior cruciate ligament injury, the latter which saw him miss the entirety of last season and will the likes of Lorenzo Pellegrini and Henrikh Mkhitaryan keep being as decisive in the final third? 

Roma haven’t won a Scudetto since Gabriel Batistuta and Francesco Totti inspired the Giallorossi in 2001, so, in that sense, Mourinho’s team are rank outsiders this year. 

But the motivated Portuguese loves a test. 

Indeed, the race for the title ought to be even tighter this year, given the unique challenges in front of the possible contenders. Undoubtedly, the race for the top four positions could be more nail-biting than last year’s joust in what promises to be another captivating season in Italy. 

While a Champions League return ought to be the primary objective, don’t rule out Mourinho bringing back the Scudetto to adorning fans at the Eternal City after 21 years.

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Seye Omidiora is a passionate football writer and pundit whose deep appreciation for the beautiful game exceeds the usual. He is currently a columnist for Goal Africa and has previously written for Vital Football UK, IBCity Info and Opera News.

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