Mourinho Speaks on Alleged Feud With Matic That Led to Midfielder’s Roma Exit

• Nemanja Matic recently swapped Roma for French side Rennes
• His Roma exit was linked to an alleged feud between him and Mourinho
• Matic has played under Mourinho three times in his career

Jose Mourinho has broken his silence on the alleged feud with Nemanja Matic that led to the midfielder's Roma exit.

Matic joined the Italian side on a free transfer last summer after ending his five-year stint with Manchester United.

The Serbian joined United under Mourinho from Chelsea in the summer of 2017 and went on to make more than 180 appearances for the Manchester club.

Matic's move to Roma saw him play under Mourinho for the third time in his career, and he went on to form an important part of the Portuguese's squad last season.

The 35-year-old had initially joined the Italian side on a one-year deal before he agreed to extend his stay beyond this summer.

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However, he quit the club prematurely and joined Rennes after he reportedly had a feud with Mourinho, per Rome-based Il Tempo.

Mourinho speaks on Matic feud

The Roma boss has now come out to speak on the reported feud and the circumstances that led to Matic's dramatic exit.

According to the former Premier League boss, he did not plan for the midfielder's exit to Rennes despite claims the pair had endured a fallout in recent weeks.

“I think the situation is self-explanatory. The fact he had been talking with Rennes for over a month says it all, and there is nothing to add. I’m very happy to have Paredes in his place. I like him a lot," Mourinho said via The Mirror.

“We didn’t expect Mr. Matic’s departure. But the club reacted immediately in a fantastic fashion. We lose a great player in Matic, but we have signed Paredes and Sanches, not the first people you would see off the street," he added.

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Mourinho subs player with no replacement

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Jose Mourinho's football may have stopped looking entertaining recently, but his touchline antics and press conference dramas remain box office - including his most recent moment.

AS Roma rounded up their pre-season ahead of the 2023/24 Serie A term with a 2-1 win over FK Partizani, returning to Tirana in Albania, the city where they won the UEFA Europa Conference League two years ago.

As spotted by Mourinho Xtra on Twitter, Mourinho removed new signing, Houssem Aouar, in the middle of the match with over 10 minutes left without replacing him, leaving the player confused.