Following a hard-fought 4-3 victory over AS Roma earlier this week, Real Madrid coach José Mourinho launched a blistering critique of football authorities, declaring that “the cat is out of the bag” regarding institutional bias.
An Unannounced Ban and Rising Tensions
The controversy ignited moments before Real Madrid took the pitch, when the club learned a player faced a severe suspension while traveling to the stadium. Managing Madrid reported that Mourinho did not hide his anger when addressing the media after the win.
José Mourinho on Real Madrid’s first-half performance against RomaInterviewer: José, the game didn’t start the way Real Madrid wanted, and Roma managed to score first. What went wrong?Mourinho: “Honestly, we started slowly, and Roma took advantage of that. But what impressed… pic.twitter.com/9pykXUigMm”
“Is it normal for a player to find out two hours before the match that he’s facing a four-match ban?” Mourinho asked the press pack. Using a traditional Portuguese idiom about a hidden cat with its tail sticking out, he added, “It seems to me that now the cat is no longer hidden. The cat’s running wild; things are being done without a shred of shame.”
“Playing in Athens on Wednesday night, arriving in Madrid at 5 am and then playing in Valencia on Saturday, in the week leading up to the international break, that doesn’t strike me as innocent. I don’t buy the usual excuses about it being down to the TV broadcast; I just don’t buy it. I’m too old for this.”
Tactical Battles and Match Realities
Beyond the administrative fallout, the match itself proved to be a tactical chess match against Gian Piero Gasperini’s aggressive setup. Mourinho openly shouldered the blame for a chaotic first half that saw Roma exploit defensive vulnerabilities.
“The bad first half is the manager’s fault; the good second half is the players’ fault,” Mourinho remarked, analyzing the shifts in momentum. Roma’s utilization of Matías Soulé wide on the flank repeatedly caught Madrid’s backline off guard, creating numerical advantages that troubled the defense.
The turnaround secured three vital points, bringing Madrid’s tally to six points from their opening two matches against elite Italian opposition.
Squad Depth and Moving Forward
Addressing individual performances, Mourinho defended Vinícius Júnior against criticism regarding a frustrating first-half display and a subsequent substitution. While acknowledging the forward’s visible frustration, the manager emphasized that such reactions stem from competitive drive rather than a lack of professionalism.
Mourinho also highlighted the integration of younger squad additions, noting that managing minutes alongside Kylian Mbappé requires careful rotation.
