Mourinho urges critics to watch opening minute before discussing Vinicius incident

Jose Mourinho says Real Madrid face another demanding test in the UEFA Champions League when they visit Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Spanish side travel to the Italian capital for the second round of the league phase, having opened their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Mourinho believes the opening two fixtures have given Real Madrid the toughest possible start among Italy’s leading clubs.

“We are facing the two strongest teams in Italy in our first two Champions League matches,” Mourinho said at his pre-match news conference. “Inter in the first game and now Roma.

“They are excited to play in the Champions League at the Stadio Olimpico, in front of supporters who do not come simply to watch the match.”

Real Madrid’s win over Inter came in their opening fixture, while Mourinho stressed that the competition remains at an early stage and that qualification is not yet close to being decided.

“We have not reached the decisive moments of the tournament yet, and there are still more matches to play before qualification is settled,” he said.

The news conference was Mourinho’s first public appearance since Saturday’s La Liga match against Villarreal. He chose not to speak to the media after Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory in that game.

The match involved two major incidents concerning Vinicius Junior. A goal scored by the Brazilian was disallowed, before he was sent off for pulling a Villarreal player’s hair.

Mourinho declined to offer a detailed response when asked about the incidents, instead directing journalists to the opening moments of the match.

“I invite you to watch the first minute of the game, and we can talk about it on Saturday,” he said.

Mourinho is due to hold another news conference on Saturday, on the eve of Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Sevilla on Sunday evening. That match will be played in week nine of the league season.

He also addressed his view of refereeing in European competition, saying that he retains confidence in officials while questioning the timing of referee appointments.

“I have complete trust in the referees,” Mourinho said. “But the only thing that surprises me is that everyone knows the referee’s name three weeks before the match, whereas it should be announced only 24 hours beforehand.

“That is the only thing that bothers me. Apart from that, I have confidence.”