Jose Mourinho reveals he turned down the ‘biggest proposal in football history’ as he knocked back Al-Hilal’s ‘£26m-a-year’ offer and insists he is NOT to blame for Roma’s dismal start to the season

Jose Mourinho has defiantly insisted he is not to blame for Roma’s sluggish start to the season and revealed he had the opportunity to depart the club this summer.

After leading the Roma to successive European finals in his first two campaigns in the Italian capital, Mourinho is currently in the midst of his worst start to the season ever as a manager. 

The club currently sit 16th in Serie A having failed to win any of their first three league games, before securing three points for the first time with a a 7-0 drubbing of Empoli last month.

However, Mourinho’s side failed to build on their momentum in the league, following the win up with a draw with Torino before losing 4-1 to Genoa on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the club’s clash with newly-promoted Frosinone on Sunday evening, the former Chelsea boss insisted he could not be held solely to blame for his side’s poor form.

The club currently sit 16th in the table having won just one of their first six games in Serie A

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‘I don’t read the papers, listen to the radio or watch the TV but I have friends, I have players, I have assistants, I have people who, even if I don’t want to know, inform me of things. I won’t accept it. 

‘Because it’s not true. I’m not the problem,’ Mourinho said.

‘In football, and in life too, there are multiple factors. It’s the same when you win: you can’t say one person is responsible for it. We all are.

‘Lots of little things are at play in a football club, a business, a political structure, an educational structure, and I know because I’ve worked in one. It’s always multiple factors.’

The 60-year-old added that he had turned down an opportunity to leave the Giallorossi this summer because he was intent on seeing out his contract at the club that is due to expire at the end of the season.

‘Three months ago the idea of me leaving was seen almost as a tragedy,’ he said.

‘During the holidays, I received the biggest and craziest offer a coach has ever received in the history of football.

The former Chelsea boss revealed he turned down an offer to manage Al-Hilal this summer

Mourinho added that the £500,000-a-week deal would have been the biggest in football history for a manager

‘And I turned it down. I did so because I’d given my word to my players, I’d given my word to the fans and I’d given my word to the club owner.

‘Three months later, it seems like I’m the problem. I can’t accept that.’

The offer was later revealed by Fabrizio Romano to have been from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, the team that made worldwide headlines for their signing of Neymar from PSG this summer.

Mourinho was reportedly offered a deal worth £500,000-a-week to take over the PIF-owned club.