Mourinho on Roma's threat: 'Beautiful atmosphere for them, heavy for us. Rüdiger can be important'

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke after his side's Champions League match against Roma on 14 October 2026, reflecting on a fixture that saw the visitors create difficulty despite Madrid's eventual control. Ancelotti addressed the tactical decisions around his substitutions, explaining that introducing Endrick and Espinosa in the final stages was a calculated risk rather than panic. He said: "If we start with that set-up they score five goals — it would be impossible to sustain such an offensive team with those 11 players. There are moments and moments, there is a strategy. Sometimes a manager is an idiot because he gets it wrong, other times he's smart because he thinks well. I didn't plan to switch from 1–3 to 4–3, but I thought that in the final minutes I'd have substitutions that could help us."

Ancelotti was critical of the fixture scheduling ahead of Roma's visit, describing the congestion as disrespectful to both clubs. He claimed that Madrid's defensive errors in the second half — particularly the second goal — cost his team. "It's a beautiful atmosphere for the Roma fans and heavy for us," he said. "Rüdiger and Konaté played very well together in their last match, with great ability to lead and resist in a difficult situation with thirty minutes playing with one fewer player. I don't want to say that Dean doesn't have the capacity to play such a match, but an experienced man like Antonio can be important." Ancelotti also defended Espinosa's limited playing time, noting that rotating with Mbappé presents practical constraints even when the young forward performs well.

On Roma's tactical approach and their ability to trouble Madrid, Ancelotti acknowledged the home side's early superiority. "They surprised us at the start with Soulé, they created an overload and it was difficult but we controlled it," he said. He criticised his own players' execution in transition, particularly after conceding the second goal. Ancelotti stressed that he spoke yesterday in a press conference about Endrick and has no intention of loaning the player out because he knows his talent.

Ancelotti outlined his concerns about Roma's pressing style and the physical toll it demanded on his defenders. He indicated that Madrid would need to either manage Roma's high press through careful positioning or force the visitors to drop deeper into a more conventional defensive shape in their next encounter.