Mourinho says he trusts all referees ahead of Roma Champions League clash

Skipped press conference

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho did not attend the post-match press conference after the home game against Villarreal on Saturday, 10 October, a match Real Madrid won 1-0 at the Bernabéu. At his pre-match press conference in Rome on Tuesday, 13 October, reporters asked him again why he had stayed away. He declined to discuss what happened in the LaLiga match and said the Champions League fixture was his focus. He repeated his invitation for reporters to watch only the first minute of the Villarreal game, saying that was enough and that he could talk about it on Saturday. La Razón reports that the match ended with Vinícius Júnior sent off, a detail that sits alongside Mourinho's reported anger at the officiating.

1. Oct 10, 2026Real Madrid beat Villarreal 1-0 at the Bernabéu and Mourinho skips the post-match press conference
2. Oct 13, 2026Mourinho repeats the first-minute invitation at his pre-match press conference in Rome
3. Oct 14, 2026Real Madrid face Roma in the Champions League at the Olimpico, kick-off at 21:00
4. Oct 25, 2026Clásico against FC Barcelona, refereed by Alejandro Hernández Hernández

Referee designations

On referees, Mourinho said he trusts all of them, whether in LaLiga or the Champions League, and that before a match he has the best feelings about them. The one thing that makes him uneasy is the timing of designations. Referee names are normally known 24 hours before a match, yet this one has been known about three weeks ahead. Reporters linked the complaint to the announcement last week that Alejandro Hernández Hernández would referee the Clásico against FC Barcelona on 25 October. Mourinho said he has no negative feelings toward officials and that his unease is limited to this one point.

Friction with the Spanish press

Mourinho also turned on Spanish journalists, saying they put few direct questions and offer few concrete opinions about situations that leave no room for doubt. When asked whether his players play more cautiously in LaLiga than in the Champions League, he did not answer and told the reporter that he already knew the response. El Mundo reports that he glanced at Real Madrid's press chief, seated beside him and ordering the questions, before moving on. He said the questions were all heading in one direction and that the Italian press, more interested in the match, should have its turn. The exchange closed without him giving any new detail on the Madrid referee dispute.

Roma and the Champions League

Real Madrid face Roma at the Olimpico in the Champions League on Wednesday, 14 October, with a 21:00 kick-off according to El Confidencial. Mourinho called Roma one of the two strongest sides in Italy, noting that Real Madrid already faced Inter in their first match and took three points without three key players. Roma are coached by Gian Piero Gasperini, who led Atalanta to the Europa League, and according to La Vanguardia the side is unbeaten this season. Mourinho said his team must play very well and that the pressure is largely self-imposed rather than the main problem. He added that the knockout stage of the Champions League has not yet arrived and that Real Madrid cannot be eliminated yet.

Mourinho and Roma's supporters

Mourinho spent two and a half seasons at Roma, a period that left a lasting bond with supporters. He said he won them over by being himself and by putting the club's and the players' interests first, which fans value. Roma won the Conference League in 2022, and Mourinho pointed to the Europa League final the club also reached. He joked that taxi drivers in Rome were dangerous because some might be Lazio fans, and the room laughed. He expects to be moved before or after Wednesday's match, he said.