Speaking to Prime Video Italia before Real Madrid's Champions League meeting with AS Roma, Mourinho praised Italy for the way its football authorities dealt with the scandal that emerged in 2006.
“I'll tell you one thing: congratulations to the Italians. Do you know why? Because it is the only country where Calciopoli was actually Calciopoli.”
The Portuguese coach then turned his attention to Spain, where payments made by Barcelona to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Spanish refereeing committee, remain the subject of a judicial investigation.
“In Spain, what happened — and everyone knows what happened — it seems that things still are not right. So far, nothing has happened. Nothing has happened.”
Asked whether he expected further developments, Mourinho delivered an even stronger assessment.
“If nothing happens, it is perhaps the biggest refereeing corruption scandal in the world.”
His comments were reported by AS as he prepared for the return to Rome, where he previously managed Roma and remains a popular figure among supporters.
Calciopoli provides the comparison Mourinho chose because it led to significant sporting penalties. The Italian investigation uncovered a scheme involving attempts to influence referee appointments, with Juventus among the clubs punished. Juventus were relegated to Serie B and stripped of the league titles awarded for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, while other clubs also faced sanctions.
The Negreira investigation concerns payments Barcelona made over a period of years to companies linked to Enríquez Negreira. Barcelona have maintained that the payments were for technical refereeing reports and consultancy services. The central question for investigators has been the purpose of those payments and whether any wrongdoing can be established.
As of October 2026, the case remains unresolved, with no final judicial finding establishing that Barcelona bought refereeing decisions. Mourinho's comments therefore represent his criticism of the process and its perceived lack of consequences, rather than a legal determination of the allegations.
The Real Madrid coach has previously addressed refereeing controversies surrounding Spanish football, but his latest remarks were made to Italian media in a country whose own football scandal resulted in formal sporting sanctions.
By invoking Calciopoli, Mourinho has again brought the debate over the Negreira case into the international spotlight. Whether the Spanish investigation ultimately produces further consequences remains a matter for the judicial process, rather than a conclusion that can be drawn from the coach's remarks.