Former Roma CEO Guido Fienga has lifted the lid on what it was like to work alongside Jose Mourinho during his spell at the club.
Fienga spent almost three years at the helm of the Italian side and was still in charge when Mourinho was appointed in 2021.
Although their time together lasted only four months, the former executive admits it was not always easy working with the Portuguese manager – but insists he still holds great admiration for him.
‘Three words to describe him? Super intelligent, skilled at his job, but I can’t say the third one,’ Fienga told Thriving Minds via Gazzetta.
‘In private, he’s very funny. It’s a great challenge to be Mourinho’s CEO, but it wasn’t for long. In one of the first matches, we received four red cards, it was a nice welcome to Mourinho’s style.
‘I have a good relationship with him. Probably because I didn’t work with him for very long.
Guido Fienga has lifted the lid on what it was like to work alongside Jose Mourinho at Roma
Fienga admits Mourinho was not always easy to work with but still admires him
Mourinho spent two-and-a-half years at Roma, winning the Conference League in 2022
‘I only brought him to Roma and worked a few months together, but we’re still in touch a lot.’
Fienga left Roma in October 2021, shortly after Mourinho’s appointment, before moving on to Al-Nassr, where he stayed from September 2023 to December 2024.
He added: ‘When I decided to leave Roma, Mou came to me and said, “Guido, there are only two alpha males in this club and now one is leaving.” I replied: “Good for you”. That’s why I’ve maintained a good relationship with him.
‘For a CEO, working with a coach who is constantly clashing with referees and the league is like being a firefighter in California. But Mourinho is very intelligent and skilled. I have many things to say, but I can’t, for both our reputations.’
Mourinho spent two-and-a-half years as Roma boss before being sacked in January 2024 following a poor run of results.
He led the Serie A side the Europa Conference League title in 2022 when they beat Feyenoord, which was the club’s first European trophy since 1961.
Mourinho also guided them to the Europa League final the 2022-23 season, before they were defeated by Sevilla on penalties.
The former Chelsea manager then took charge of Fenerbahce in June 2024, but his stint in Turkey lasted little more than a year before he was dismissed last month after failing to guide the club into the Champions League group phase.
