As if the recently completed three-week international break weren’t bad enough, try this on for size: It’s been over a month since Roma’s last Champions League fixture (though I suppose that’s better than aseven-year gap!). While their first foray back into the big dance didn’t go as swimmingly as we hoped, a 1-1 draw against Fenerbaçe on the road wasn’t the worst outcome.
But hey, if you have to wait a month for a Champions League fixture, this may be the one. Not only is Roma welcoming the world’s
most famous football club, but today’s afternoon kick-off also features the return of a few familiar faces, none more so than the Special One himself, José Mourinho.
His three-year stint in the capital may have ended on a down note, but the world’s most famous manager delivered the club’s first European title in more than 60 years, completing his own personal treble by adding the inaugural UEFA Conference League trophy in 2022, joining the Europa League and Champions League titles already on his CV from stops at Porto, Manchester United and Inter Milan.
But the good tidings don’t stop there, as former Roma defenders Antonio Rüdiger and Dean Huijsen will join Mourinho at the Olimpico today.
