Jose Mourinho takes aim at Barcelona ahead of Rome return

Jose Mourinho has launched another scathing attack on Barcelona ahead of his return to the Stadio Olimpico for a Champions League clash against his former club, Roma. Speaking to Amazon Prime Video Italy prior to the match, the Portuguese manager drew a pointed comparison between the disciplinary processes in Italian and Spanish football, taking aim at the ongoing investigations surrounding the Catalan giants.

"I just want to say one thing – congratulations to Italy. Do you know why? Because it is the only country where Calciopoli was truly Calciopoli. The only one. Because everyone knows what happened in Spain, yet nothing has been resolved. So far, nothing has happened – absolutely nothing."

Mourinho's comments refer to the high-profile "Negreira case" in Spanish football, which centres on allegations that Barcelona paid millions of euros between 2001 and 2018 to a company linked to former referee committee vice-president Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Barcelona have strongly denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, UEFA confirmed on October 2 that they had received extensive documentation regarding the ongoing investigation, submitted by Real Madrid.

"If nothing comes of this, it could prove to be the biggest refereeing corruption scandal in world football. There is nothing else to add," Mourinho concluded.

The Special One's return to the Eternal City is one of the marquee storylines in European competition this week. The Portuguese tactician steps back inside the Stadio Olimpico for the first time since his departure from the Giallorossi in January 2024. During his tenure at Roma, he guided the club to UEFA Europa Conference League glory in the 2021/22 season before reaching the Europa League final the following year.