Jose Mourinho wants unprecedented fourth year in Rome – but he must fix big-game stage fright against Napoli first

Week after week, the Jose Mourinho effect is laid bare for all to see in the Eternal City.

Two-and-a-half years into the Portuguese’s Roman reign, he continues to draw packed Stadio Olimpico crowds, adoring chants and plenty of headlines.

Mourinho mania infected the Romanisti faithful from the moment his appointment was first announced, and attendances boomed from an average of 40,000 under predecessor Paulo Fonseca to over 60,000 since Jose landed.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was seen as the proven winner this success-starved club so desperately needed, and he lived up to the tag in his debut season by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League to end a 14-year trophy drought at the first time of asking.

But for all their European adventures, Roma have fallen short of expectations in Serie A as two sixth-place finishes in a row under Mourinho stretched their UEFA Champions League absence to five years.

One of the biggest obstacles that has stopped the Giallorossi from breaking the top four has been their stage fright in big games against direct rivals.

For Mourinho, recent weeks have been overshadowed by controversial comments he made about a referee before a game against Sassuolo, which led to an Italian Football Federation charge and a fine.

The fans stood by him, unveiling a huge banner in a recent home game against Fiorentina that read: “Eyes intoxicated with red and yellow, a soul filled with romanismo…Jose Mourinho Romanista for life!”

Such displays of affection have continuously left Mourinho dumbstruck, and in the wake of last weekend’s defeat to Bologna, he made his feelings clear about what he wants for his future.

“I haven’t spoken to the owners but I want to continue coaching Roma, the fans are unique,” Mourinho said.

“A separation would be hard for me. And if a separation ever happens, it would not be my decision.”

Mourinho has never stayed longer than three years at a club in his decorated career, but in Rome he appears to have finally found an environment where he wants to put down some roots.

There could be some convincing to do, as Roma’s American owners, the Friedkin Group, are yet to extend his lucrative contract beyond the end of the season.

It isn’t unreasonable, then, for the Friedkins – and the Roma fans for that matter – to demand a better performance in Serie A this season.

Recent reports in the Italian media suggested that Mourinho’s hopes of extending his stay in the Italian capital will depend on their league performance in the second half of the season.

In short, Roma’s owners want to see a return on their investment in the form of Champions League qualification.

Where Roma have repeatedly stumbled, however, is in games like Saturday’s visit of Napoli – direct head-to-head clashes with fellow top-four chasing sides.

The capital club’s Serie A record against fellow sides from the so-called ‘Seven Sisters’ – Inter, Juventus, Milan, Atalanta, Lazio and Napoli – since Mourinho joined makes for alarming reading.

In the last two seasons, Roma lost 14 of their 24 games against these opponents, winning just five and drawing five.

So far in 2023/24, the record is worryingly similar, with one draw and two defeats from three games.

Even last weekend against Bologna, the surprising new contenders in this season’s top-four race, they fell to a 2-0 loss away from home.

There are still only three points between Roma and the top four as things stand, but if Mourinho is to find an antidote to his team’s big-game blues, it has to be now.

Roma’s next four league games are against Napoli (H), Juventus (A), Atalanta (H) and AC Milan (A).

This run, between Saturday and January 14, could make or break their hopes of a return to the Champions League – and therefore potentially a new deal for Mourinho.

Napoli arrive with plenty of problems of their own, having already all-but surrendered their title defence with a 14-point gap separating the Partenopei in fifth from Inter on top.

They are onto their second coach of the season already, after Rudi Garcia was replaced with Walter Mazzarri, but the returning veteran is yet to spark a major upturn in form and suffered the humiliation of a 4-0 defeat at home to Frosinone in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday night ahead of the trip to Rome.

For both these sides, then, the ‘Derby del Sole’ is a critical moment in their seasons. But for Mourinho and Roma, it could be now or never.

• 17:30 – Empoli v Lazio, TNT Sports 3
• 17:30 – Sassuolo v Genoa, TNT Sports 4
• 19:45 – Monza v Fiorentina, TNT Sports 4
• 19:45 – Salernitana v AC Milan, TNT Sports 3

• 11:30 – Frosinone v Juventus, TNT Sports 3
• 17:00 – Hellas Verona v Cagliari, TNT Sports 4
• 17:00 – Internazionale v Lecce, TNT Sports 3
• 19:45 – AS Roma v Napoli, TNT Sports 1