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 slow start to the season and revealed he had the chance to leave the club this summer.

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

The club currently sit 16th in Serie A after failing to win their opening three league games before securing three points for the first time with a 7-0 thrashing of Empoli last month.

However, Mourinho’s side failed to build on their momentum in the league after winning with a draw against 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 responsible for his side’s poor form.

The club is currently sixteenth in the table and has won only one of its first six games in Serie A

‘I don’t read the newspaper, listen to the radio or watch 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 about things. I won’t accept it.

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

‘In football, and also in life, there are several factors. The same goes for when you win: you can’t say that one person is responsible for it. We are all.

‘There are a lot of little things going on in a football club, a company, a political structure, an educational structure, and I know that because I worked in one club. There are always several factors.’

The 60-year-old added that he had turned down a chance to leave the Giallorossi this summer as he planned to complete his contract with the club, which expires at the end of the season.

“Three months ago, the idea of ​​me leaving was almost seen as a tragedy,” he said.

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

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

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

“And I turned it down. I did this because I gave my word to my players, I gave my word to the fans and I gave my word to the club owner.

‘Three months later it seems like the problem is me. 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 headlines worldwide for signing Neymar from PSG this summer.

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