Roma have missed out on a top-four spot in Serie A for the second successive season under Fonseca, but the 48-year-old can take many positives away from his two-year tenure in the Italian capital.
Fonseca improved and developed a number of young talents, resurrected the careers of Premier League outcasts Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and employed an entertaining and attacking brand of football.
“Paulo Fonseca’s a bit similar to [Thomas] Tuchel in that he’s trying to put players in the right position and giving them the freedom to enjoy their football,” Mkhitaryan told
The Athletic.
Roma have, however, struggled with consistency this term. They spent the middle section of the season nestled in the top-3, but a disappointing sequence of results means they are now down in 7th with four games to play; a standing that could be under threat by in-form Sassuolo.
Domestically they may have faltered, but Roma have caught the eye in the Europa League where they’ve won nine of their 13 games to date. Fonseca defeated his former clubs Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk, plus Erik ten Hag’s talented Ajax side, en-route to the Europa League semi-finals; only the club’s second European semi-final in 30 years.
Although last week’s second-half capitulation at Old Trafford - they led 2-1 at the break - means Yellow and Reds must now attempt to overturn a 6-2 deficit in the second-leg.
Paulo Fonseca has been linked with Crystal Palace, Celtic, Arsenal and others
In recent months it became increasingly likely that Fonseca wouldn’t be offered a new deal in the summer, then when the opportunity arose to appoint Jose Mourinho it obviously proved too difficult for The Friedkin Group to turn down.
"Mourinho is a great coach, everyone knows that, and I am sure he will do a great job here," Fonseca said on Wednesday.
Who else has Fonseca managed?
Mozambique-born Fonseca won the league and cup double in each of his three seasons in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk, where he once greeted those in attendance at a Champions League last-16 press conference by dressing up as Zorro.
After various spells in Portugal's league system which included leading Pacos Ferreira to 3rd in the top-flight, Fonseca hit the big time when he landed the Porto job in 2013.
It didn’t quite work out for him at the Estádio do Dragão, where he lasted nine months, although he still claimed some silverware (Super Cup).
He rejoined Pacos for another season (8th), then led Braga to domestic cup success at the expense of Porto, and achieved 4th in the table.
So, what’s next for the Portuguese coach?
Fonseca has had eight managerial spells in his homeland, including the aforementioned Braga and Porto. He thrived in Ukraine and now has two years of Italian football under his belt.
Like many managers, he’s interested in testing himself in the Premier League -
he was previously linked with Everton - and there could be a few options on the table this summer.
