Mourinho condemns how Vinicius learned he would miss games

“Things are being done without shame: is it normal for us to find out what is happening to Vinicius when we arrive at the stadium?” José Mourinho strongly objected to the way the player had reportedly been told he would miss four matches, raising the question after the game. He made his anger clear: “The cat is no longer hidden; things are being done without shame.”

The manager had just won his second Champions League match with Real Madrid. He claimed a tactical element in the comeback, while also linking it to the surge of emotion brought by the goals. Mourinho described his team’s response as an “organised” and “emotional” rebellion, within a tactical framework that, in his view, helped against Gasperini’s teams. He nevertheless said the opposition’s attacking setup had surprised him and that such intensity could not be sustained for 90 minutes.

He also noted that Roma had set up in a way unlike the approaches he had analysed. Despite that surprise, Mourinho said he retained fond memories of what had once been his home. On the division of responsibility, he was blunt: “The poor first half is the coach’s responsibility, and the players are responsible for the reaction in the second.”

Mourinho defended his substitutions, explaining that he had expected the opposition’s energy to fade. He called the other team very strong and difficult to play against, while acknowledging how hard the first half had been for his side. “I always think about meritocracy,” he said, before stressing that football is also a strategic game in which the opponent matters.

Finally, he criticised Real Madrid’s schedule: playing in Athens on Wednesday, arriving back at five in the morning, then facing a difficult match in Valencia on Saturday seemed “incredible” to him. Citing his 25 years in football, he said he would not accept apologies and would keep trying to “open the eyes of Real Madrid supporters” while he remained in the job.