Mourinho takes swipe at referee in Villarreal clash ahead of Roma vs Real Madrid: ‘Watch only the first part of the match’

Mourinho takes swipe at referee in Villarreal clash ahead of Roma vs Real Madrid: ‘Watch only the first part of the match’ Jose Mourinho returns to Stadio Olimpico tomorrow as Real Madrid take on his former employers AS Roma in the second round of the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese tactician spent more than two years in the hotseat at the Serie A club and led them to the UEFA Europa Conference League triumph. A popular figure among the fans, Mourinho is expected to receive a warm welcome from the Giallorossi tomorrow. On facing Roma And, speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Real Madrid boss spoke highly of Roma ahead of Wednesday’s contest. “We have to play really well. We’ve drawn the two strongest teams in Italy to start. In the first match, we managed to get three points despite having three suspended players, and now we face Roma,” he said. Continuing, he added: “They’re a strong team, motivated to be back playing in the Champions League at the Stadio Olimpico, with a crowd that’s really involved. They don’t come to watch the game; they come to play, and they do. “To get the points, we have to play really well. They’re a tough opponent. It’s not yet the time for the pressure of the Champions League, of being in or out, but we’re putting that pressure on ourselves. We want to win.” On what the occasion means for him, as he goes up against Roma, after facing another former club in Inter Milan, Mourinho elaborated: “Inter and Roma are the two strongest teams in the league. Since I’ve been assigned Inter and Roma, I watch Serie A very often. Although I watch their games whenever I can. Mourinho returns to Roma, where fans idolise him. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) “I’m prepared for my return, I’m balanced, and I have no doubt that I’ll give it my all. Maybe before or after I’ll have a change of heart, but during the match there’s no doubt. Roma wants to win, and so do I. In that moment, personal feelings are forgotten.” Talking about the special bond he forged with the Roma fans and how he was able to achieve it, Mourinho explained: “Being me. As always. The interests of the club, the players, and the fans always come before my own, and people appreciate that. People identify with it. If you do something that makes them happy, even better. “It’s not like we won the Champions League, but we won a European competition (the Conference), we played in another European final (the Europa League), and everything came together… Roma fans are special people.” On refereeing in Spain and Villarreal controversy Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal this past weekend was once again marred by controversial refereeing, with Mourinho refusing to speak to the media after the game. On being asked if he wished to say something on the matter, the Real Madrid boss replied: “Nothing, nothing. It’s a Champions League match, I have nothing to say about the league game.” After being pressed further, Mourinho added: “I already told your colleague I didn’t want to comment, but I’ll try to make this the last time. “I invite you to watch only the first part of the match against Villarreal. If you’d like, we can discuss it on Saturday. The first minute is enough for those who know.” Given Real Madrid’s complaints against the officiating in Spain, Mourinho was then asked if he trusted referees more in the Champions League, to which he replied: “I felt all kinds of things. The only thing that bothers me is when, as a rule, the referee’s name is known, even if it’s supposed to be 24 hours in advance, about three weeks before. That’s the only thing that bothers me. “Apart from that, I’m confident and I hope everything goes well for all three teams. I don’t have any negative feelings.” Far from happy with the referee against Villarreal. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) On being asked if Real Madrid would find it hard to get back into the La Liga title race, Mourinho aimed a barb at Spanish media, saying: “I think that when you ask me this question, you already know the answer, but for some reason you don’t want to say it. “I find people in the Spanish media rather indirect, I’d say, with few direct and concrete opinions on situations where there’s no room for doubt. This is the fourth or fifth question along these lines. “The Italian press is probably more interested in the match. We’ll see each other on Saturday (the Spanish press), so it’s better to go to the other side.” On the team Mourinho made it clear that he will not revert to utilising Federico Valverde at right-back regularly despite the Uruguayan impressing in the position against Villarreal. “I felt the need to change the right-back position, and I didn’t want to use a substitution on Dumfries for Trent, and I thought Fede could make the difference,” he said. “As a coach, things often go wrong for me, but this time it worked out well. If you have more than one Fede, you play him at full-back, in midfield… But since we only have one Fede, seeing him at full-back is very unusual.” On whether the honeymoon period at Real Madrid is already over, he added: “I feel the same as always. I sleep like a baby, but after the game, as usual, I don’t sleep at all. And on Thursday morning, I’m back.” Talking about facing Roma and a familiar foe in Gian Piero Gasperini, Mourinho insisted that he was only focused on winning and that he would not be surprised to face the Giallorossi again in the later stages of the competition. “It’ll be just another game. If I can forget who I’m playing against, and I am, and I will during the match, it’s just another game. As I said before, we haven’t felt the real pressure of the Champions League yet. “Looking at what’s left, I think Real Madrid and Roma will qualify. Maybe I’ll be back for the quarterfinals, semifinals… Before the match, it’s not normal to arrive at the airport, walk down the corridor… But the 90 minutes will be normal.” Source: AS