Tiago Pinto reveals challenges in working with Jose Mourinho, describing the former Roma boss as “demanding.” Pinto admits that it was not possible to work normally with Mourinho, and he is still not “at peace” after resigning as Roma’s sporting director in Serie A
Former Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto has spoken openly about the challenges he faced working alongside Jose Mourinho, indicating that the former Roma boss posed difficulties in their professional relationship.
Mourinho’s tenure in Italy spanned a tumultuous two-and-a-half years. While he guided the club to two European finals and successfully ended an 11-year trophy drought, his time was marked by notable touchline antics, a strained relationship with the club, and high-profile clashes with referees.
Tiago Pinto’s words
Pinto, who frequently clashed with Mourinho, shared his perspective on working with the former Roma manager during his interview with I News: “Don’t get me wrong, when you work with a man with such a huge profile, it’s demanding. And he is demanding because he has achieved so much and has high standards.
Don’t forget that I’m Portuguese and I started to work with him when I was 36. For a young sporting director to work normally with Mourinho, it’s not possible. I learned a lot from him. He’s one of the most important managers in the history of football.”
What Pinto said about leaving Roma
Pinto also confessed that parting ways with the club was a challenging decision: “When I left Roma, I thought a lot about it and I just felt it was the right time, the end of a cycle. But when I made my decision, everyone close to me said: ‘Knowing you like we do, I doubt you will be at peace after two weeks.’ I think they were probably right.”
In the broader context, Mourinho faced struggles during the first half of the 2023-24 season. Despite guiding the Giallorossi from hovering above relegation in September to a ninth-place position, a series of poor results led to his sacking on January 16.
