Real Madrid’s meeting with Roma has brought contrasting assessments of José Mourinho, with Antonio Cassano questioning his appointment and César Gómez backing his ability to guide the club’s younger players. The discussion surrounding Saturday’s victory over Villarreal also continues, as Santi Comesaña responds to Mourinho’s remarks about the refereeing. Meanwhile, Sevilla have another injury to contend with before their visit to the Bernabéu on Sunday.
Comesaña responds to Mourinho’s refereeing comments
Santi Comesaña has questioned Madrid’s complaints
about the refereeing in Saturday’s meeting with Villarreal, arguing that the home side put pressure on Isidro Díaz de Mera from the opening stages.
Speaking in the mixed zone after Villarreal’s Champions League victory over Napoli, the midfielder was asked about Mourinho’s comments at his pre-match press conference in Rome. The Madrid coach had declined to discuss the Villarreal match in detail but invited reporters to watch its first minute to understand his assessment.
“I saw something from the first minute. I don’t know what they’re complaining about with the referee and all that. If it’s a red card, it’s a red card. They were really going after him from the first minute. It was senseless. They’ll see what they’re doing. We were focused on our own game. We played well and it was a shame we didn’t get anything positive out of it,” Comesaña said.
The most consequential decision came when a VAR review identified Vinícius Júnior’s hair-pull on Nathan Saliba. The Brazilian was sent off, and the goal that would have put Madrid 2–0 ahead was disallowed. Madrid ultimately won 1–0.
Villarreal coach Íñigo Pérez has taken a different approach to the discussion, declining to assess Díaz de Mera’s performance either after the Bernabéu fixture or during his media appearances surrounding the Napoli match.
Cassano criticizes Mourinho and reflects on his own Madrid mistakes
Antonio Cassano has delivered a sharply critical assessment of Mourinho in an interview with AS ahead of the meeting between two of his former clubs. The Italian praised Gian Piero Gasperini’s work at Roma while questioning Madrid’s decision to bring Mourinho back.
“Roma and Real Madrid are two very different teams. To begin with, Roma has a fantastic coach, and Real Madrid doesn’t because Mourinho doesn’t like to play football; he only likes to talk. It’s unbelievable that Real Madrid, the strongest team in history, signed Mourinho. I don’t understand how Florentino Pérez could have chosen him. It drives me crazy. If we swapped the coaches and Gasperini were in charge of Real Madrid, they would win 10–0.”
Asked about the difference between the coaches’ trophy records, Cassano said his judgment rested on the football their teams played rather than their honours.
“It’s true. Gasperini has only won one Europa League, but titles don’t matter to me; what matters is what I see on the pitch. Mourinho can’t coach anymore. He’s been very lucky because none of his teams played well. His football philosophy became outdated ten years ago. His career hasn’t left any legacy, only arguments with everyone. He likes to talk about other things, but not football. One of his greatest merits is having Jorge Mendes as his agent, who always finds him good clubs.”
Despite those criticisms, Cassano considered Madrid the favourites against Roma because of the strength of their players.
“Roma plays very well, but Real Madrid is stronger. I think it will be a difficult match, but Madrid has an 80% chance of winning, even though Gasperini is very good and Mourinho is not. They shouldn’t sit back and wait for Mbappé, Bellingham, or Vinicius to score and win games. They should learn from Barcelona and Flick, who has created a great team with a strong personality where everyone attacks. Madrid does things the opposite way.”
Güler, Guti and his preference for Rodrygo
Cassano also discussed Madrid’s attacking talent, praising Arda Güler while arguing that comparisons with Guti should wait. The former midfielder was among the teammates who made the strongest impression on him during his time in Spain.
“Güler is a fantastic talent, but he’s not yet at Guti’s level. He was my favorite of the Galácticos. He had an incredible final pass and could do whatever he wanted with his left foot. He left me speechless. I think he only played at 40% or 50% of his capacity. He should have won the Ballon d’Or two or three times. He was certainly on par with Xavi, Modric, or Iniesta. Güler is very good and I like him a lot, but Guti was something else entirely.”
On Madrid’s Brazilian forwards, Cassano made clear that he preferred Rodrygo’s qualities to those of Vinícius.
“Vinicius is just a good player. I think Rodrygo is much better. I don’t know why Vinicius gets so much more attention than his teammate. If Vinicius isn’t physically fit, he has no alternatives and he’s not a great finisher. He scores goals, but he’s not a superstar. I think Rodrygo, if he’s fit, should start ahead of him. I like him much more and I’m looking forward to his return.”
“I liked to eat and go out, and not train”
Cassano was equally blunt when discussing his own shortcomings at Madrid. Asked whether he had wasted the opportunity to succeed at the club, he accepted responsibility for his lack of discipline.
“Absolutely. I should have gone to jail,” he said, laughing. “Because my behavior was awful. I liked to eat and go out, and not train. I was ten kilos overweight. It was all my fault.”
He acknowledged that the quality around him had not been enough to change his priorities at the time.
“That’s how I was. The best players I ever played with were Ronaldo, Zidane, and Guti, but I was focused on other things. I lacked maturity. The Cassano of that time, with the maturity he has now, would have played ten years for that team because he had the talent. In any case, I was very happy playing for Real Madrid. It was a wonderful honor, and when I travel abroad, people still remember me for having been on that team. Real Madrid is the greatest team in history.”
Cassano also revisited his difficult relationship with Fabio Capello, expressing regret about his conduct while identifying him as the most important coach of his career.
“I had Capello as my coach at Roma and Real Madrid, and it’s true that I didn’t treat him well. I was a terrible person, but I remember him as the most important coach of my career. Now I have a fantastic relationship with Fabio, but he always liked professionals who train well, who are demanding of themselves, take care of themselves, and have a lot of respect for their profession, and I did the complete opposite. I behaved badly, but now I hold him and his family dear.”
Guridi ruled out of Sevilla’s Bernabéu visit
Sevilla will be without Jon Guridi for their meeting with Real Madrid on Sunday, October 18, after the midfielder suffered an injury to the adductor longus muscle in his left thigh.
AS reports an expected absence of two to three weeks, which would also put his participation against Osasuna on October 26 in doubt. That remains a reported recovery estimate rather than a confirmed return date.
Guridi joins Miguel Sierra and Marcão among Sevilla’s absences. Sierra faces several months out after injuring his shoulder against Levante. Giorgi Kochorashvili also missed group work earlier in the week because of muscle overload, although he is expected to be available for the trip to Madrid.
There is more encouraging news in attack, where Lucas Stassin has recovered and is expected to return to the squad. His availability would be particularly useful with Isaac Romero facing suspension following his dismissal for two yellow cards against Levante.
Sevilla Atlético players Ibra Sow, Nico Guillén, Manuel Ángel and Jorge Moreno participated in Wednesday’s training session as preparations continued. Iker Muñoz remains injured, leaving the coaching staff likely to draw on the reserve team again when completing the squad for the Bernabéu.
Managing Madrid Podcast: Mourinho Press Conference Reaction + Is Lack of Running Actually Real Madrid’s Biggest Problem?
On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Don Amancio discuss Real Madrid’s running stats and why they are misleading, and a lot more, including a live reaction to Aurelien Tchouameni and Jose Mourinho’s press conference quotes in the Roma vs Real Madrid pre-game presser:
César Gómez recalls Totti’s Madrid interest and backs Huijsen
César Gómez has revisited his experiences in Madrid’s academy and at Roma in an interview with AS, recalling how he and Iván Helguera recognized Francesco Totti’s potential while sharing a dressing room with him.
Gómez credited Zdeněk Zeman with helping Totti turn that talent into a defining presence in Roma’s first team.
“Totti had spent three or four years alternating between the first team and the youth team, but a coach like Zeman knew how to bring out his best qualities, and that’s when he really blossomed. He was an extraordinary player. Helguera and I used to say to each other, ‘Why didn’t Real Madrid sign him?’”
According to Gómez, Totti’s attachment to Roma ruled out the other major Italian clubs, but Madrid occupied a different place in his thinking.
“Totti is a Roma fan through and through. We thought Milan, Inter, or Juventus would snap him up whenever they wanted, but talking to him, he said that in Italy he would only play for Roma and that the only other option he would ever consider was Real Madrid.”
From Madrid’s academy to a career in defence
Gómez described his own connection with Madrid as something that remained long after he left the club.
“Growing up at Real Madrid always leaves its mark. It’s what they call DNA these days,” he said, recalling the influence of the coaches and former players who helped shape his development.
He arrived through the club’s trial system and spent seven years progressing through the academy and Castilla.
“I arrived there when I was 15. Back then, trials were very common. You’d do the trial, and if you passed, they’d sign you up for the Social Tournament. I passed the trial and the Social Tournament, I played in the first match, they took me to Real Madrid’s Under-18 C team, and from then on I spent seven years between the youth teams and Castilla.”
Originally a forward, Gómez was gradually moved further back by his coaches.
“Toni Grande moved me down to midfield, and in my last year with Del Bosque he put me at centre-back, and I stayed there for the rest of my career.”
Asked why he did not establish himself in Madrid’s senior side, Gómez acknowledged the competition and the demands beyond technical ability.
“Because there were better players, that much is clear to me,” he said, laughing. “Going from Castilla to Real Madrid is a very complicated mission, then and now. It’s one thing to be a very good footballer and another to be a Real Madrid player, which involves much more than just technical ability. Valdano told us that just dribbling the ball alone from the center circle to the goal at the Bernabéu was intimidating with the crowd roaring.”
Gómez nevertheless expressed pride in his career, including the Tenerife performances in which he helped prevent Ronaldo Nazário from scoring.
“I’m absolutely proud of my career. The impact of that marking wasn’t because of what I did, but because of who I was facing. Ronaldo at that time was a beast, and for many, he’s the best we’ve ever seen. I was lucky that he didn’t score against us in the two league matches with Tenerife, but it doesn’t depend so much on you as on who you’re facing.”
Huijsen needs time—and should listen to Mourinho
Turning to Madrid’s current defence, Gómez argued that Dean Huijsen’s performances should be viewed in the context of his age and the scale of the adjustment he is making.
“I think Huijsen is at Real Madrid and every little detail is magnified. He has obvious quality and potential. For such a young lad, adapting to the magnitude of the Bernabéu takes time and building confidence. The best thing he can do is listen to Mourinho, who is the best coach he could have to help him improve.”
His assessment of Mourinho contrasted with Cassano’s, emphasizing the coach’s understanding of Madrid and his ability to connect with supporters.
“I like brave, top-level coaches. Mourinho knows Real Madrid and what the institution means better than many Madrid fans. He connects very quickly with the fans wherever he goes, as happened at Inter or, more recently, at Roma.”
