Trevisani criticises Mourinho's Real Madrid philosophy after loss to Roma

Real Madrid came from behind to beat Roma 4–3 despite a poor display, scoring three goals from set-pieces in the closing stages. A performance widely criticised by fans and media for its lack of quality was masked only by the visitors' ruthlessness on dead-ball situations and Roma's defensive lapses. Sporting journalist Riccardo Trevisani was among the harshest critics, attacking Real Madrid's manager on the podcast Cronache di Spogliatoio. He said: "I saw a match devoid of logic. Real Madrid is a disgrace, it cannot be watched! The blame lies with their coach, who has a squad worth a billion four hundred million euros and lines them up like under-10s. Mourinho comes to Roma, hasn't even left and already Svilar breaks, then Koné and Dybala get injured. He has incredible luck, it's objective. That's how Mourinho wins, only that way." The collapse highlighted Roma's vulnerability to set-piece defending and their inability to control a match they initially dominated.

Roman radio stations dissected Roma's 3–2 loss to Real Madrid yesterday, with broadcasters and former players offering mixed assessments of Gasperini's tactical display alongside praise for the team's attacking performance that ultimately collapsed in the final eight minutes. The match saw Roma lead until the 85th minute before conceding three goals in quick succession, a sequence that drew sharp criticism across multiple stations. Piero Torri (Radio Manà Manà Sport) captured the mood: "All stunned at the final whistle: players, fans and even Gasperini. A heavy blow yesterday. Before the 85th minute you lived what could have been and instead was not. In eight minutes you transformed what could have been a victory capable of giving a push for the future into a setback not insignificant, which I hope does not have repercussions on morale. Unacceptable to concede three goals like that. After 3–2 Roma completely collapsed." He added that Matías Soulé delivered his best performance of the season and questioned the timing of his substitution. Gasperini received ratings between 5 and 6.5 from the panel—Franco Melli (Radio Radio Mattino) gave him a 5, noting Roma "must define itself" as too many matches end in collapse, and criticised Lorenzo Pellegrini's introduction as "the most serious mistake." Simone Valdarchi (Radio Manà Manà Sport) highlighted that Roma conceded three goals from set-pieces in nearly identical fashion, calling it unusual and difficult to recall precedent for. Roberto Pruzzo (Radio Radio Mattino) observed the squad maintains too high a tempo early on and cannot sustain it through a full match. Luigi Ferrajolo (Radio Radio Mattino) argued that with Real Madrid's quality, an entertaining style of play should be non-negotiable. However, Alessandro Vocalelli (Radio Radio Mattino) and Nando Orsi (Radio Radio Mattino) defended the display, with Vocalelli crediting defensive errors on set-pieces rather than Gasperini's strategy, and Orsi noting Roma simply lost the ability to maintain possession and conceded from corners—a shortcoming rather than poor tactics. Injury concerns now loom. Manu Koné suffered an injury with return expected after the international break, while Paulo Dybala sustained a muscular strain in his calf area, making his availability for the Genoa match uncertain.

Mourinho's side inflicted a painful defeat on Roma with a goal in the 90th minute, scored by a former Roma player. The Portuguese manager's behaviour after the final whistle became the focal point of the match: he made a small gesture with his finger and moved from one side to the other, appearing to express joy while restraining himself visibly. In an interview with Amazon, when pressed repeatedly by a journalist, Mourinho denied the gesture was a celebration and insisted there was nothing against Roma. "I couldn't celebrate in the Curva Nord, where our fans were, and neither in the Curva Sud, out of respect," he explained. The detail underscored the weight of his history with the club that transformed him into a king. For Roma, the result was bitter—a late concession that stung both the environment and the squad under Gasperini. The loss carried the particular sting of coming at the hands of a manager who had been loved and shaped by the Giallorossi, yet now faced them as an opponent. Mourinho's visible restraint, his refusal to celebrate openly despite the victory, revealed the emotional complexity of the moment for him. What made the occasion distinctly Mourinho was the perfect storm: a win, a goal in the final moments, and the goalscorer being a former Roma player. Yet melancholy remained etched in his expression. The narrative belonged to a people who had loved him and would love him forever—a relationship that transcended the result itself, leaving an unmistakable sadness beneath the surface of triumph.

Paolo Condò analysed Roma's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in an exclusive interview, emphasising the growth the club demonstrated despite the loss. Roma were the strongest of the four Italian sides to lose in the competition this week, and held Real Madrid at bay for 80 minutes before conceding twice more to lose what Condò described as a painful collapse. Condò highlighted the defensive vulnerability that emerged when Mancini and Hermoso were substituted. "When they came off, the defence fell apart," he said. "We were missing the player who, at 3–3, would say 'we're not playing this game any more and we finish it like this'. Ultimately the pitch seemed to slope in Real Madrid's favour—they always have at least four world-class players fresh on the pitch at the end." He argued that Endrick, the Spanish club's young forward, decided the match and that Mancini's absence was critical: "I believe if Mancini had been on the pitch Roma would not have conceded three goals from corners." Condò noted that Roma's character was evident in midfielders Bryan Cristante and Manu Koné, defender Gianluca Mancini, and goalkeeper Mile Svilar, though he felt their personalities were not fully deployed in the closing stages. On Roma's standing in Serie A, Condò was clear: "Roma remains the most credible anti-Inter candidate, and there are two proofs: they are the only side to have taken points from Inter, and they drew against Como with ten men." He assessed that Roma went closer to victory when at full strength, while in numerical disadvantage they conceded little. Condò also observed that Como, under Fabregas, has fallen behind Gasperini's Roma since that match.

Real Madrid came from behind to beat Roma 4–3 despite a poor display, scoring three goals from set-pieces in the closing stages. A performance widely criticised by fans and media for its lack of quality was masked only by the visitors' ruthlessness on dead-ball situations and Roma's defensive lapses. Sporting journalist Riccardo Trevisani was among the harshest critics, attacking Real Madrid's manager on the podcast Cronache di Spogliatoio. He said: "I saw a match devoid of logic. Real Madrid is a disgrace, it cannot be watched! The blame lies with their coach, who has a squad worth a billion four hundred million euros and lines them up like under-10s. Mourinho comes to Roma, hasn't even left and already Svilar breaks, then Koné and Dybala get injured. He has incredible luck, it's objective. That's how Mourinho wins, only that way." The collapse highlighted Roma's vulnerability to set-piece defending and their inability to control a match they initially dominated.

Roma must quickly put behind the disappointment of conceding a late comeback against Real Madrid, who scored twice in the final minutes to win 4–3. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the Genoa fixture. Gasperini will be without five players for the match. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are all unavailable. Koné and Dybala will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to establish their recovery timescale.

Real Madrid came from behind to beat Roma 4–3 despite a poor display, scoring three goals from set-pieces in the closing stages. A performance widely criticised by fans and media for its lack of quality was masked only by the visitors' ruthlessness on dead-ball situations and Roma's defensive lapses. Sporting journalist Riccardo Trevisani was among the harshest critics, attacking Real Madrid's manager on the podcast Cronache di Spogliatoio. He said: "I saw a match devoid of logic. Real Madrid is a disgrace, it cannot be watched! The blame lies with their coach, who has a squad worth a billion four hundred million euros and lines them up like under-10s. Mourinho comes to Roma, hasn't even left and already Svilar breaks, then Koné and Dybala get injured. He has incredible luck, it's objective. That's how Mourinho wins, only that way." The collapse highlighted Roma's vulnerability to set-piece defending and their inability to control a match they initially dominated.

Roma must quickly put behind the disappointment of conceding a late comeback against Real Madrid, who scored twice in the final minutes to win 4–3. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini will address the media tomorrow at 13:30 ahead of the Genoa fixture. Gasperini will be without five players for the match. Bryan Cristante, Donyell Malen, Mile Svilar, Manu Koné and Paulo Dybala are all unavailable. Koné and Dybala will undergo instrumental tests tomorrow to establish their recovery timescale.

Roma face Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday 17 October at 20:45 in Serie A matchday seven, aiming to return to winning ways after a 4–3 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The Giallorossi drew 0–0 against Como and 0–0 against Inter before the Real Madrid loss; they have not won since facing Torino. Genoa, managed by Daniele De Rossi, won their first match of the season last time out, beating Fiorentina 2–1. Gasperini will make changes to his squad following injuries sustained against Real Madrid. Manu Koné left the pitch in the first half with a muscle problem, while Paulo Dybala was substituted at half-time with a muscular strain; both remain under assessment as of 15 October, with recovery timings unclear. Mile Svilar is out with a fractured toe, Bryan Cristante with a knee problem, and Donyell Malen suspended following his red card against Como. Roma last won on matchday six against Torino. In Gasperini's 3–4–2–1 formation, Pierluigi Gollini will start in goal with Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso in the three-man defence. Emanuele Lulli and Wesley are set for the full-back positions, with Marten de Roon and Niccolò Pisilli in midfield. Santiago Castro will lead the attack in place of the suspended Malen, Matías Soulé will play behind him, and Rodrigo Mora is favoured to complete the attacking line if Dybala cannot recover; Lorenzo Pellegrini is an alternative. De Rossi's Genoa are likely to line up in a 4–4–1–1 with goalkeeper Bijlow, but a 3–5–2 with Vitinha alongside the striker remains possible. Roma hold a dominant record at the Olimpico against Genoa: across 65 official matches played in the capital, the Giallorossi have won 48, Genoa 9, with 8 draws. Most recently Roma won 3–1 on 29 December 2025; before that, on 17 January 1990, Genoa last won at the Olimpico, prevailing 1–0. The official lineups will be confirmed before kickoff. The match will be broadcast on DAZN and Sky Sport, with streaming available through NOW and Sky Go according to subscription level.