Jose Mourinho has left Roma supporters a hidden message following his sacking by the Italian club.
Mourinho was dismissed as Roma manager on Tuesday, two-and-a-half years after he took charge of the Serie A side. His players were reportedly unaware of the club's decision.
The 60-year-old guided the club to a first major European trophy when his side defeated Feyenoord in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League final.
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It's the sixth time in Mourinho's career that he has been sacked, following exits from Chelsea (twice), Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham. Over his career the coach has earned £85 million in early dismissal compensation payments.
Mourinho built a strong relationship with Roma supporters, with many crediting him with bringing the good times back to the Stadio Olimpico after 14 years without winning a trophy.
His connection to the club and its followers was clear to see on Tuesday morning, as footage emerged of a tearful Mourinho saying his goodbyes to fans who had gathered at the club's training ground.
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Later on Tuesday the Portuguese manager broke his silence by uploading an emotional video to his Instagram page, complemented by a hidden message.
Mourinho posted a montage of images from his time spent in Rome - including photos of the club's fans and him kissing the Conference League trophy - set to Andrea Boceli's operatic ballad Nelle tue mani (Now we are free).
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Mourinho captioned his post: "Sudore, sangue, lacrime, allegria, tristezza, amoR, fratelli, storia, cuore, eternità," which translates to "Sweat, blood, tears, joy, sadness, love, brothers, history, heart, family."
Roma fans flooded the comments section of the post with messages of thanks, and some noticed how Mourinho capitalised the 'R' at the end of 'amoR'. When spelt backwards, 'amoR' becomes 'Roma'.
Despite his understanding of the club and relationship with the supporters, Roma chiefs decided to part ways with the 'Special One' following a poor first half of the season.
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The capital club find themselves ninth in the Serie A table having won just 8 of their opening 20 games. Mourinho's last game in charge was a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan, which came days after his side were dumped out of the Coppa Italia by arch-rivals Lazio.
Former Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has been appointed Mourinho's successor until the end of the season.
Topics: Jose Mourinho, AS Roma, Serie A
Alex Brotherton