Jose Mourinho had plenty to say after Real Madrid’s dramatic 4-3 Champions League victory over AS Roma, addressing his team’s tactical struggles, Vinicius Jr.’s substitution, the Brazilian’s suspension controversy and the fixture schedule facing the Spanish giants.
Real Madrid were forced to respond after Roma’s aggressive approach caused significant problems in the first half.
Mourinho admitted that Gian Piero Gasperini’s tactics caught his team off guard, but praised his players for showing the courage needed to turn the game around.
However, the Portuguese manager’s strongest comments came when discussing Vinicius and the treatment of Real Madrid by the authorities.
Mourinho explains Real Madrid’s comeback against Roma
Mourinho acknowledged that Roma deserved their early advantage but insisted their intensity would eventually become difficult to maintain over 90 minutes.
“The opposition were tough; they play a different style of football to what we’re used to.
“It’s very difficult for them too to maintain that pace and intensity for 90 minutes.
Mourinho explained his tactical approach against AS Roma. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
“They deserved to take the lead, although I wasn’t happy with a couple of the goals. And then we turned it around with a lot of courage.”
The manager admitted that his half-time adjustments did not go entirely according to plan, particularly after Roma scored on the counter-attack.
He also explained how his familiarity with Italian football helped him understand the tactical challenge.
“Within a tactical framework I was familiar with. I spent many years in Italy, and I know Gasperini.
“He caught us off guard, but there are no miracles in football. It’s not possible to maintain that intensity for 90 minutes.”
Mourinho also defended his substitutions, arguing that the players who finished the match were better equipped to handle Roma’s approach as the contest progressed.
“If we’d started the match with the same 11 who finished it, they’d have scored five against us. It would have been impossible to hold off such an intense side.
“Sometimes the manager’s an idiot because he makes the wrong decisions, and other times he’s brilliant because he makes the right ones.
“I’m not going to tell you that I’d planned everything to switch from a 3-1 to a 3-4 formation. But I did think that in the final minutes we needed to make some changes.
“I told them it’s very difficult for a player like Mancini to hold out, man-to-man, for the whole match on a yellow card.
“The way they play creates a lot of tricky situations. When Hermoso ran out of steam, Endrick came on. Give me some credit. I must have done something right.”
Mourinho defends Vinicius after substitution
Vinicius was another major talking point, with Mourinho taking responsibility for the winger’s difficult first half and explaining why he changed his position after the interval.
“The first half was my fault. Or Gasperini’s fault. He put Soule in there and Wesley really ran rings round us with loads of two-on-ones.
ROME, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is challenged by Niccolo Pisilli of AS Roma during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between AS Roma and Real Madrid C.F. at Stadio Olimpico on October 14, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
“It was tough for Vini. In the second half, I gave him the freedom to play down the other flank. Wesley was neutralised by Diomande.
“Vini lost a ball he shouldn’t have lost. But that’s it – I make mistakes too. It’s a shame that just when he was coming into his own, being happy again, this happened.”
The manager also acknowledged that the Brazilian was unhappy with being substituted, although he suggested that the frustration was understandable after such a demanding match.
“It’s normal for him not to be happy. If he does what so many others do – throwing the water bottle – I don’t like that.
“Frustration is normal. But after the match he was very happy about the win.”
Mourinho also discussed the emotional demands placed on players in difficult circumstances, drawing a comparison with his own experience.
“Players try to block out their feelings. I had to do the same to play here in my stadium, in front of the people I love.
“A player must also have this ability, and he managed it quite well. The first half is down to Gasperini’s positive influence. It’s not Vinicius’s fault, but Gasperini’s.”
Mourinho questions Vinicius sanction and attacks La Liga
Mourinho’s comments became more pointed when he addressed the disciplinary situation involving Vinicius, who has been handed a four-match ban.
The Real Madrid manager questioned whether the timing of the suspension announcement was appropriate and suggested that the situation raised wider concerns.
“You’re the journalist, but may I ask you a question? Do you think it’s normal for a player from a Spanish team to find out he’s been banned for four matches before the match even takes place?
“This is turning into what we say in Portuguese: ‘a cat hiding with its tail sticking out’, and it seems to me that the cat isn’t hiding anymore – they’re doing things without any shame.
“Do you want to ‘take down’ a player from a Spanish team? The cat is no longer hidden.
“Vinicius’s match was either my mistake or a wise decision by Gasperini, because they’ve been tearing us apart down the left flank.”
The manager then turned his attention to Real Madrid’s fixture schedule, criticising the turnaround between their European commitments and their upcoming domestic match.
Carlos Espi was on the scoresheet again. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
“At the very least, they have little respect for us. The fact that we’re playing in Athens on Wednesday, arriving at five in the morning, and then playing a tough match in Valencia on Saturday is unbelievable.
“I don’t accept their apologies because I’ve been in football for 25 years and, as long as I’m here, I’m going to do everything I can to open the eyes of Real Madrid fans.”
On Carlos Espi
Mourinho also offered his assessment of Carlos Espí, explaining why the forward could receive an opportunity when Kylian Mbappe is unavailable against Sevilla.
“I must say that when the possibility arose of Gonzalo leaving – whom I liked a lot and who was a great deal for Madrid – they put three names on the table for me.
“One of them was Espí, and they did a very good job. For a forward, being in the same squad as Kylian isn’t easy. It’s not easy to rotate a player like him, given his quality.
“Now, against Sevilla, Kylian isn’t playing… He won’t be. But opportunities come along, and whenever he’s had them, he’s always risen to the occasion,” he concluded.
Source: AS