Gasperini takes dig at Mourinho before Real Madrid-Roma: « Two billion spent, that's fantastic »

On the eve of the Champions League clash between Real Madrid and AS Roma (matchday 2, Wednesday 9pm), Gian Piero Gasperini could not resist taking a dig at José Mourinho during the pre-match press conference.

When asked about his Portuguese counterpart, the Roma manager replied with a smile: « His results speak for themselves and what he has achieved throughout his career. He is one of the most decorated managers of all time. If I had to highlight one thing, it would be his talent and his sense of empathy, to attract exceptional players and convince clubs to spend considerable sums — and that’s fantastic. »

The jab is measured but it hits home. Mourinho indeed has a cumulative record of approximately two billion euros spent in the transfer market throughout his career. After his Champions League triumph with FC Porto in 2004, he joined Chelsea, where Roman Abramovich’s fortune allowed him to recruit for 664 million euros in three seasons — Didier Drogba and Michael Essien were among the marquee signings.

His spell at Real Madrid (2010-2013) represented an additional 571 million euros, notably with the arrivals of Luka Modric and Angel Di Maria. His returns to Chelsea, then his spells at Manchester United — where he signed Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku — and Tottenham further inflated the bill, often without results matching the investments, and with systematically dramatic departures.

Mourinho knows both clubs well on Wednesday: he managed Inter Milan from 2008 to 2010, winning two Italian league titles and a Champions League, before taking charge of Roma from 2021 to 2024, where he won the Europa Conference League. Gasperini, for his part, succeeded the Portuguese manager on the Roma bench after his spell at Atalanta. The duel between the two men takes on particular flavour, even if it is ultimately on the pitch that everything will be decided.