Speaking on Swiss broadcaster RSI Sport, the two former Serie A players reacted to the 20-year-old Cagliari midfielder's decision to represent Italy rather than Switzerland. Romano, who wears the number 4 shirt at Cagliari, has been named by Roberto Mancini for Italy's upcoming Nations League matches.
Behrami did not hold back.
"It was a huge case of sleeping on the job, in every respect. Two years ago we tried to bring Romano to Watford at all costs but Roma cared too much about keeping him.
"Everyone knew how strong he was. Everyone. This boy would have held Switzerland's midfield for 10 years."
He was just as critical of the way the Swiss federation handled the situation.
"The mistake is serious, I don't understand how they operate at the federation. You can't turn up at the stadium the first time he scores: it doesn't work like that, the player isn't pleased. We don't have such a huge pool, it's serious."
Džemaili shared the view.
"Our national team was asleep. You could see for years how strong he was. In January, when he went to Spezia, I wrote to Donadoni 'you've got a good player'. His choice must be respected but we should have done everything to keep him."
Romano was born in Winterthur on 17 June 2006 to Italian parents, and his father Umberto played for years in Switzerland, including for the Under-21 national team.
With Granit Xhaka among his role models, the midfielder went through every Swiss youth side from Under-16 to Under-20, captaining the Under-19s. The Swiss federation counts 34 youth international appearances for him. He moved to Italy in 2022 to join Roma's academy, spent the second half of last season on loan at Spezia and signed for Cagliari this summer.
His first weeks in Serie A brought him to national attention, notably with a fine goal against Parma. Behrami's complaint about the timing of Switzerland's approach echoes reports in Italy that the national team coach, Murat Yakin, only travelled to watch him after that strike, while Mancini moved earlier, asking Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini about the player after the opening weekend.
FIFA approved his change of sporting nationality on 10 September, clearing him to play for Italy, and Mancini has made clear he is prepared to look to dual-passport players, as he did with Mateo Retegui during his previous spell in charge of the Azzurri.
For Switzerland, the loss stings all the more given that, as Behrami noted, the country does not have a limitless supply of midfield talent.