Huijsen returns to Rome after a difficult derby

Huijsen is back in Rome after a difficult derby. The Real Madrid defender will meet José Mourinho, his current coach, in the city where the pair first came together in top-level European football. They return to face the Italian side in circumstances that have changed since their first spell together.

In 2023, Mourinho was coaching Roma and needed a centre-back. The club pursued Dean Huijsen, then an 18-year-old prospect moving between Juventus of Turin’s first team and reserve side. His time in Rome marked his first major exposure to elite football: he played 14 matches there, 13 in Serie A and one in the Coppa Italia. Those appearances brought him to Bournemouth’s attention, and he joined the club the following summer.

Huijsen has since signed for Real Madrid for 50 million euros. His first season there brought more setbacks than highlights. In his second, with Mourinho, he regained confidence and became a more reliable centre-back.

The return to Rome therefore gives Huijsen a chance to make his case, against a crowd he knew briefly and the one that follows him now.