ROME -- There is no place like Rome, and if you're Jose Mourinho, it can get even better. It was an emotional night at the Stadio Olimpico as AS Roma welcomed Real Madrid and their former coach and lost 4-3 to the Spanish giants at the end of a crazy second half, when AS Roma were up 3-1 until the 83rd minute before conceding three goals in the last seven minutes with three corner kicks and the goals of Carlos Espi, Endrick and Toni Rudiger. Roma fans left the stadium softly chanting after losing their first match back at the Stadio Olimpico seven years after playing their last home game in the top European tournament.
Mourinho, on the other hand, seemed particularly happy to win but was also received as a hero by his former fans. For the Portuguese coach, this is a statement win. He replaced players such as Vinicius Jr., Yan Diomande, Denzel Dumfries in the second half and won on his own terms.
At the final whistle, he left the pitch pointing a finger at the sky: it was a crazy win, and it was also his night, defeating the club that he led to UEFA Conference League glory just over four years ago. ANTONIO RÜDIGER WINS IT FOR REAL MADRID 😲 Incredible scenes in Rome and the Stadio Olimpico is left silenced after a Real Madrid comeback for the ages ⚪️Watch the #UCL on @ParamountPlus 📺 pic.twitter.com/siCUXxAeeh Gian Piero Gasperini, the current AS Roma coach, was basically the one who ended the stint of Mourinho at the Italian club, as the defeat against Atalanta that took place in January 2024 convinced American businessman and AS Roma owner Dan Friedkin to sack the Portuguese coach three years after shocking the world by appointing him. Two years later, the world is different in Rome.
Gasperini is convincing week after week that he's the right coach in the right place but the defeat against Real Madrid is another signal that they shouldn't consider themselves at the level of the top European teams yet. With all the issues of Real Madrid that need to be taken into account, it was a moment of revelation for Gasperini and his team until the 83rd minute, before the mistakes of the Italian defense and the quality of the Real Madrid players took over. Until then, everything was just perfect: the performance and the players who scored the three AS Roma goals are a reflection of that.
Marten De Roon, the Dutch midfielder that Gasperini had at Atalanta and brought to Rome this summer, opened the score, followed by Danyell Malen's brace, the most crucial signing that AS Roma made in recent years. But in the end, more than anything, it was mainly the night of Mourinho, as he made his comeback in the city for the first time since his sacking in 2024. A place that loved him like few before, and welcomed him with respect and admiration, the same feelings they showed to him when he was on the Roma bench were existent on Wednesday night.
In the first moments of the game, Mourinho didn't seek attention; he didn't need it. He spoke nicely about his former team before the game but he knew something would happen on Wednesday. All eyes were on him, even when he hadn't arrived to the bench.
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