Mourinho: I trust referees, but one thing smells bad – before Roma

📰 On the eve of his return to Roma, Mourinho has taken another swipe at refereeing. 📌 Key points 🎙️ Mourinho: "I trust all referees, the only thing that smells bad..." 🕵️ His gripe: referees' names emerge three weeks out, not 24 hours before. 🟥 On Vinícius's red: "Just watch the first minute of the Villarreal game." 💬 Asked if his players were inhibited: "When you ask me that, you know the answer." 🏟️ Madrid play Roma at the Olimpico on Wednesday night. 📝 What happened 🎙️ Asked at the Olimpico on 13 October whether he trusts Champions League referees more than La Liga's, Mourinho said he trusts them all. The only thing that smells bad, he added, is that a referee's name should be known 24 hours before a game but in reality comes out about three weeks earlier. 🕵️ Spanish media have been naming Alejandro Hernández Hernández as the referee for the 25 October Clásico at Camp Nou since early this month. Nothing is official, but The Objective linked Mourinho's comments to that situation. 🟥 Having skipped his press conference after the Villarreal game, Mourinho again avoided discussing it directly. "Just watch the first minute of the Villarreal game; for those who know, that's enough," he said, adding that they could talk about it on Saturday. He did not explain what happened in that minute. 💬 When a reporter asked if his players were playing inhibited, he hit back: "When you ask me this question, you know the answer." Aurélien Tchouaméni, alongside him, said he did not want to talk about referees. 📊 By the numbers • Referee announcement: 24 hours before in principle, about three weeks according to Mourinho • Madrid's next games: Roma on 14 October, El Clásico on 25 October • Matchday one: three points despite three players banned from last season 👀 Things to watch 💛 Mourinho's homecoming — "The Roma fans want to win and so do I; in that moment, love is forgotten." 🏟️ The Olimpico — "The crowd doesn't just watch games, they play them." ⚡ Mbappé's record — if he plays, he becomes the youngest to reach 100 Champions League games, overtaking Messi. 🟥 Vinícius — his domestic ban does not stop him playing in Europe. 🔭 Why it matters With Vinícius's disciplinary verdict pending, Mourinho and Madrid are signalling they will not let the refereeing debate go. Once the Clásico referee is officially named, these words will be back in the spotlight. Kick-off is 9pm local time on 14 October.