Mourinho on Roma return: 'They understood I fought for them'

José Mourinho will return to the Stadio Olimpico in six days when his Real Madrid face Roma in the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, the Portuguese manager reflected on his time with the Giallorossi and the relationship that made his departure painful despite the success he achieved. Mourinho won the UEFA Europa Conference League with Roma and reached the Europa League final, which was lost only on penalties following what he described as a series of refereeing errors. Mourinho's connection with Roma's supporters remains unmatched among his former clubs. "I have a very special relationship with practically all my former clubs, or almost all," he said. "I've always exited well from situations, even when I was sacked. I've never said a negative word. You know how much my exit from Roma hurt me, but there doesn't exist a word from me against the club or the ownership. When I leave, I leave clean." He acknowledged that the bond with Roma fans was extraordinary—comparable only to that enjoyed by Nils Liedholm—and credited their understanding that his sole focus was the club's interests rather than politics or media relations. "They understood that I didn't care about my image or relationships I could have with Italian football politics, the press or the ownership. I only cared about Roma and the Romanisti. I fought for them, I gave everything." Mourinho spoke at length about the aftermath of the Europa League final in Budapest and the UEFA sanctions that followed, which he said damaged his relationship with Roma's ownership. "After the final I go on holiday and when I return I'm already dead because of what the Uefa made me pay," he said. "What happened with Taylor at the airport is not my responsibility—it's the insults in the garage and I had to pay only for that. And I paid for this in the relationship with Roma's ownership since they had a different approach. By that moment I was already out." On Roma's legendary players, Mourinho was clear: "Francesco must not be touched. I will always be behind him. Roma has a beautiful history with legendary players, I think also of Bruno Conti whom I love." Ahead of the match, Mourinho said he expects only respect from the Olimpico crowd. "I still haven't begun to prepare for that match, neither as a coach nor as an ex returning home. I haven't yet thought about this. I must defend myself and prepare to do my job well and to do it I must try to forget where I am and who I'm playing against," he explained. "At Roma it's never happened to me, and I must say it will be different. I'll drive the road that leads to the Olimpico as an opponent. It will be the first time I go there without the passion of the Romanisti fans. And I'll have to prepare my players for this."

José Mourinho will return to the Olimpico as an opponent for the first time since his dismissal from Roma, with the reunion set for next week. The Real Madrid manager, now in his current role, gave an interview to Corriere dello Sport in which he reflected on his bond with Roma and what to expect when he faces his former club. Mourinho emphasized the pain of his Roma exit but said he has maintained respect for the institution. "You know how much it hurt me to leave Roma, but there is not a word from me against the club or the ownership," he said. "I leave cleanly. It may not seem like it, but I am a very educated person and I leave with the feeling that Roma will always be my home. And that has been the case at Madrid too." He compared his connection to Roma with few others in his managerial career, drawing parallels only with his earlier relationship at the club. "The day I arrived I saw 1,000 people. I didn't understand why—I hadn't done anything yet. I didn't think I deserved it, but that is Rome and I understood it afterwards. Our relationship is special because they understood that I didn't care about my image or my relationships with Italian football politics, the press or the ownership. I only cared about what was good for Roma and the Romanisti. I fought for them, I gave everything." Mourinho credited the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League triumph—Roma's first major trophy in two decades—as the peak of his connection with the supporters. "We won a cup that means a lot to a club that hadn't won so much," he said. He also referenced the aftermath of the final in Budapest and subsequent disciplinary action from UEFA, noting: "When the final ended, I go on holiday and when I return I'm already dead for what UEFA made me pay. What happened to Taylor at the airport is not my responsibility—it's the insults in the garage and I should only pay for that. And I paid for this in the relationship with Roma's ownership since they had a different approach. At that moment I was already out." When asked whether he felt the same affection for Francesco Totti, Mourinho said: "Francesco is untouchable. I will always be behind him. Roma has a beautiful history with historic players; I also think of Bruno Conti, whom I love." On the atmosphere he expects to encounter, Mourinho said: "I don't expect anything. I expect only respect and that's it. I haven't yet started preparing for that match—neither as a manager nor as an old boy coming home. I haven't thought about this yet. I have to defend myself and prepare to do my job well, and to do that I need to try to forget where I am and against whom I'm playing. I did this with Inter or Chelsea. At Roma it never happened to me, and I must say it will be different. I will take the road that leads to the Olimpico as an opponent. It will be the first time I go there without the passion of the Romanisti fans. And I will have to prepare my players for this."

Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini has credited playing time at club level as the foundation for young players' development into the senior national team, citing Niccolò Pisilli as a prime example. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Baldini reflected on Pisilli's trajectory: "I think of Pisilli at the start of last year, when he wasn't playing at Roma. Then he was used and arrived in the senior national team. If these boys don't play, they don't progress. Talent must not be imprisoned by tactics." Pisilli, a Roma academy product, has emerged as a key figure in Baldini's Under-21 squad. The coach praised the overall quality of his group, asserting that many are ready for the step up to senior football. Baldini stated: "Eleven or 12 of them are absolutely ready for the senior national team, all it takes is selection. I don't choose—for me they're like my own children."