Ndicka: Regaining form, but third place will be hard to defend

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 has spoken about his time at Roma and the bond he formed with the club's supporters in an interview with Corriere dello Sport. The former Roma manager described his connection to the club as special, saying that when he arrived at Fiumicino airport there were 1,000 people waiting for him despite having achieved nothing yet. "They showed me a love that touches you for the club," he said. "They understood that for me only Roma and the Romanists existed. I fought for them, I gave everything." Mourinho reflected on Roma's Conference League victory, noting that while some clubs might view such a competition as less significant, "for a club that doesn't win much it can have great significance." He revealed that a procurator friend had sent him a photograph of Trigoria's entrance where the Conference trophy remains displayed. The manager acknowledged making errors and losing matches but emphasized that supporters always understood his commitment. He described the Budapest final—the Conference League decider—as "the maximum point of this connection," though he stressed the emotional toll that followed: "When I returned I was dead," he said, alluding to the aftermath of incidents at the airport and disputes with the club's ownership over how those events were handled. "I was already dead and after a few months I went away." On Francesco Totti, Mourinho said: "Francesco cannot be touched. I don't feel close to him, nor the second who is in people's hearts after him. Roma has a beautiful history even with few moments of glory. It has historic players like Bruno Conti whom I love." He described the Budapest final as defining the supporters' sentiment toward him more than any trophy won. Regarding his upcoming return to the Stadio Olimpico, Mourinho said he expected no banners and was focused on preparation rather than emotion: "I have never had to make that journey to the stadium without passion from Roma's fans. I must also prepare my players for this, because it is a different way of living the match. Mine are players of the highest level, accustomed to playing finals of every kind, but I must prepare them for the beauty of the opponent—it will be very difficult to play there." Mourinho declined to engage in emotional preparation ahead of the fixture, stating he must concentrate on his job and defend himself tactically against Roma's threat.

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."

Rodrigo Mora is in line to start on the trequarti for Roma's trip to Como on Sunday, having impressed with Portugal Under 21 with a goal and an assist across three matches. Matías Soulé will train with the main group for the first time on 9 October, while Lorenzo Pellegrini returns after six months out through injury. Mora started today against Sorianese, putting him ahead of both teammates in the pecking order according to Sky Sport. Pellegrini featured in the second half of that friendly. The forward pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala is unchanged. At the back, Evan N'Dicka is favored over Leonardo Balerdi, while Marten de Roon steps in midfield in place of the injured Bryan Cristante.

Roma travel to Como on Sunday at 12:30 with the aim of maintaining their position at the top of the table. Gian Piero Gasperini has confirmed that Donyell Malen and Wesley are fully fit after both featured in a friendly played today, recovering from earlier absences. Gasperini has minor doubts in defence but expects to field Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso as his back three, with Leonardo Balerdi pushing for a place after returning from a trip overseas. Marten de Roon will replace Bryan Cristante in midfield alongside Manu Koné, while Nahuel Molina and Wesley occupy the flanks. Rodrigo Mora is set to start as an attacking midfielder, ahead of Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, with Donyell Malen leading the line. Roma's probable formation: Svilar; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, Koné, De Roon, Wesley; Dybala, Rodrigo Mora; Malen.

Roma recorded the lowest minute tally among Serie A's top sides during the latest international break, accumulating 1,204 minutes across their squad members on national duty. AC Milan led the ranking with 2,625 minutes, followed by Inter on 2,352 and Napoli on 2,094. Roma's relatively modest figure reflects fewer players being called up for the four matches played by their national teams during this fixture congestion period. Rodrígo Mora topped Roma's minutes register for Portugal Under-21 with 225, ahead of Evan N'Dicka (Ivory Coast) on 187 and Gianluca Mancini (Italy) with 180. Niccolò Pisilli matched Mancini's total for Italy Under-21, while Manu Koné accumulated 152 minutes for France. The minutes spread unevenly across the squad: Konstantinos Koulierakis (Greece) played 90 minutes, Leonardo Balerdi (Argentina) 79, Matías Soulé (Argentina) 45, and Emanuele Lulli (Italy Under-21) 45. Santiago Castro (Argentina) featured for just 21 minutes, while Daniele Ghilardi (Italy) and Giorgio De Marzi (Italy youth) saw no action. In the broader Serie A comparison, Juventus recorded 1,772 minutes with Como on 1,587 and Lazio on 1,232. Among the top three, Milan's total was driven by players such as Jashari (Switzerland, 295 minutes), Pavlovic (Serbia, 275) and Ramos (Portugal, 275). Inter's Akanji (Switzerland) and Napoli's Lobotka (Slovakia) each played the maximum 360 minutes across their respective nations' campaigns. The international window has added significant load to players' schedules as calendars become increasingly congested with fixtures.