Jose Mourinho has resigned from his position as a member of the UEFA Football Board, effective immediately.
The AS Roma manager conveyed his decision in a formal letter to UEFA’s Chief of Football, Zvonimir Boban.
While the exact reason for Mourinho’s departure remains undisclosed, the wording in his letter suggests that it may be connected to the lengthy ban he received on June 21.
This ban was a consequence of his verbal confrontation with match official Anthony Taylor following the Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla in Budapest last month.
A viral video showed the veteran tactician hurling insults at the English official in what looked like a parking lot. Taylor and his family were later confronted by Roma fans at the Budapest Airport.
In his letter to UEFA, Mourinho thanked the European governing football body for their invitation.
“In thanking you for the invitation you extended to me to be a member of the UEFA football board, I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will be renouncing my participation in this group.”
The Portuguese tactician stated plainly that the board was no longer following the ideals he believed in.
“The conditions which I so strongly believed in when I joined are no longer standing and I felt the obligation to take this decision. I kindly ask that you also communicate my decision to the President Mr. Aleksander Ceferin,” he said, as quoted by the Athletic.
Roma are expected to appeal against the ban once they get a full details of the judgement.
What is UEFA’s Football Board?
The board is comprised of a group of former players and elite coaches, brought together to tackle issues in the game of football, such as the laws and schedules.
As UEFA reports, the executive committee approved the board on April 24 and they meet in Nyon annually.
Apart from Mourinho, other coaches on the board include Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane, Gareth Southgate, and Ronald Koeman. Former players include Petr Cech, Gareth Bale, and Juan Mata.
Mourinho’s future at Roma
Sports Brief has also reported that Mourinho’s next coaching move remains unclear after AS Roma lost the UEFA Europa League final against Sevilla in a controversial manner.
The Portuguese veteran joined the Italians in 2021 on a three-year contract, but after two years of overachieving with limited financial backing, there are doubts he will continue.
Mourinho guided Roma to winning the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in his first season in charge and reached back-to-back European cup finals in his second season.