Mourinho and Sarri kick off Rome derby off the pitch

Jose Mourinho and Maurizio Sarri seemed to light the fuse of the Derby della Capitale yesterday with their statements to the media.

The Portuguese coach referenced his team’s intercity rivals in his pre-match press conference yesterday, drawing attention to the amount spent by the Biancocelesti this summer. 

Responding to the suggestion that Roma should be considered title favourites after their transfer window, Mourinho said: “Milan and Inter improved their teams and I don’t think Roma are the favourite to win the title. Lazio have spent €39m. We have our project and we can’t afford big investments.”

Sarri responded to his Giallorossi counterpart in his press conference later in the day, suggesting that “we haven’t spent money, we have invested in young players. They have spent money. I thank José for his trust. I hope to satisfy him, and I can say that Roma finishing second would be disappointing.”

The comments from the two coaches has already kicked off another bitter season of competition between the two Roman clubs, both teams fighting for bragging rights in the Italian capital. 

The first Derby della Capitale of the season comes on November 6th and the return match kicks off on March 19th 2023.

Last season, Lazio won the first derby clash 3-2 but lost the return match 3-0. They finished one point ahead of their intercity rivals.