DETAILS: Mourinho met Roma, Zahavi in Mayfair
This Jose Mourinho story just keeps getting better and better. As Luca Borioni pointed out, his fall from grace at Chelsea was very Special indeed. Could the speculation surrounding his next club follow this blueprint? Why not?
After all, CONI president Giovanni Malago' is alleged to have revealed the Mourinho was travelling to the Rome... to a comedian?
Occhio! #Mourinho alla @OfficialASRoma! Me l'ha appena detto Giovanni Malago'!
— Rosario Fiorello (@Fiorello) December 17, 2015
Weirder and weirder! So what do we know exactly? The Corriere dello Sport has some fascinating details about the meeting that took place between Jose Mourinho and Roma representatives. For a start, the Rome detail is incorrect, the two sides are reported to have met in Mayfair, with Pini Zahavi, one of the most powerful agents in the Premier League, present. The real mastermind, however, was Charlie Stillitano, a mutual friend of Mourinho's and Pallotta's who is also the man behind the International Champions Cup, which has included both Chelsea and Roma.
The Corriere claims that the Portuguese manager was open to the possibility of coaching Roma, though the sides didn't really get very far with their negotiations. This confirms Pallotta's strategy: to bring in a top international manager and change the club's vision, not to mention its image. It will be up to Walter Sabatini to find an interim coach to fill in until the summer.
Sabatini's future, however, is pretty uncertain: the arrival of a big-name manager may spell the end of his involvement in the transfer market (not that it would be bad news for some Roma fans), possibly even with the club itself.
That said, Roma are behind Manchester united in the pecking order, at least according to the English press. Sir Alex Ferguson had welcomed the possibility of seeing Mourinho take over at Old Trafford, as he was considered to be one of the few managers who could launch another dynasty at the club. With Luis Van Gaal's future very uncertain, anything could happen. Remember, Mourinho doesn't plan to take a sabbatical.
PSG are behind, with Laurent Blanc's increasinly strengthening position keeping talk of the Special One at bay. For now.
