'I trust all referees' - Jose Mourinho avoids further scandal ahead of Roma reunion following Villarreal controversy

Mourinho has surprisingly moved to de-escalate his ongoing feud with officiating bodies, insisting he maintains full confidence in referees ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Roma on Wednesday. The veteran manager has been at the centre of several disciplinary headlines recently, notably refusing to attend his mandatory post-match press duties following a narrow 1-0 victory over Villarreal last weekend in protest over a disallowed Vinicius Junior goal and the Brazilian's subsequent sending off for hair-pulling.

'I trust all the referees... whether it's the league or Champions League, before the game I always have the best feelings about the referees,' Mourinho told reporters in a statement captured by AFP. 'I have confidence and I hope everything goes well for all three teams, I don't have any negative feelings.'

Before the Villarreal fallout, Mourinho had already sparked controversy following a derby defeat to Atletico Madrid, where he famously brandished printed photographs during a press conference to highlight challenges he believed should have resulted in punishments for the Rojiblancos. However, the Real Madrid manager was quick to shut down further questioning regarding his domestic grievances ahead of the European clash, suggesting that the media in Rome were far more interested in the tactical battle on the pitch.

'There are Italian media here that are more interested in the match than in that kind of thing,' the 63-year-old added during the press conference. 'You'll have me again on Saturday, I think it's best if we move on to something else.'

While their manager opted for a more cautious approach, the feeling within the Real Madrid dressing room remains one of significant annoyance, even as the Spanish side enter the fixture on the back of a 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in their Champions League opener, whereas Roma managed a 1-1 draw away at Fenerbahce.

'I don't want to speak about the referees, right now we have a lot of frustration with the decisions,' Aurelien Tchouameni explained when asked about the mood within the camp.

The fixture serves as a homecoming for Mourinho, who spent three productive years at Roma between 2021 and 2024, leading the Italian side to Conference League glory in 2022 before reaching the Europa League final the following season.

'It's not as if we won the Champions League, but we did win a European competition, we played a second European final in two years, and I think everything came together,' Mourinho reflected when discussing his legacy in the Eternal City.