Mourinho says Italy is 'only country where Calciopoli was truly Calciopoli' in Barcelona dig ahead of Roma return

Mourinho returns to Rome with pointed comments on Barcelona and referee corruption

José Mourinho took a fresh dig at Barcelona in an interview with an Italian TV channel on the eve of his return to the Stadio Olimpico to face former club Roma.

José Mourinho looks on sternly ahead of Roma return

The Portuguese tactician, who was sacked by Roma in January 2024, will face the Giallorossi tonight in Champions League Round 2. Speaking to Amazon Prime in Italy, Mourinho was asked about the upcoming match but diverted to comments on football governance in Italy and Spain.

'Congratulations to Italy'

"I'll just tell you one thing. Congratulations to Italy," Mourinho said. "You know why? Because it's the only country where Calciopoli was truly Calciopoli. The only one. Because what happened in Spain, everyone knows what happened, and still, you don't breathe well. Until now, nothing happened, nothing happened."

Mourinho was referring to the so-called 'Negreira case' in Spain, which concerns Barcelona allegedly paying millions to the company of Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, former president of the Spanish football referee committee, between 2001 and 2018. The Catalans have denied any wrongdoing, while UEFA confirmed on 2 October that it had received "a large quantity of documents" from Real Madrid relating to the ongoing investigation.

"If nothing happens, then it may be the biggest referee corruption scandal in world football," Mourinho concluded. "There's nothing else to say."

Roma return

Mourinho's return to the Stadio Olimpico to face Roma is one of the biggest storylines of the Champions League Round 2. The Portuguese coach led the club to win the 2021-22 Conference League and reach the Europa League Final in the following season.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini acknowledged the emotional backdrop ahead of the game.

"There surely was love for Mourinho from our fans, so he'll deserve all the recognition he'll receive," Gasperini said on Tuesday. "Those are things people feel, and you can't stop them. At the same time, I'm convinced that when the game begins, all emotions will be set aside and people will support Roma exclusively."