ROME - AS Roma are set for an emotionally charged week as two iconic figures from the club's recent past return to the Stadio Olimpico as opponents. Within four days, José Mourinho and Daniele De Rossi will be back, managing Real Madrid and Genoa respectively.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side, sitting third in Serie A with 14 points from six games, will first host Mourinho's Real in the Champions League before facing De Rossi's Genoa in the league. It's a double-header blending nostalgia with current sporting stakes, with Roma unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions (two wins and three draws).

The two returns

José Mourinho, the manager who delivered the Conference League trophy in 2022, will make his first return to the Olimpico as an opposing coach since his departure. His tenure, which also included a Europa League final defeat and a notable unbeaten run against Bayer Leverkusen, remains a intense chapter in the club's history.

Just days later, Daniele De Rossi, the second-highest appearance maker in Roma's history with 616 games, will walk into the stadium as an opposing manager. After a brief spell as Roma's head coach, 'Capitan Futuro' now leads Genoa, their next Serie A opponent on October 17th. He previously faced Roma as a Boca Juniors player last season.

The weight of history

These fixtures rekindle debate about the team's unfulfilled potential in recent years. Francesco Totti recently commented on the situation. "De Rossi is a lightning rod, he risks ending up like Mou," the club legend stated.

Gasperini's squad must now focus on the pitch, where their form is solid with 14 goals scored and only 3 conceded this season. The aim is to keep pace with leaders Inter, who are just two points ahead. The full schedule of upcoming challenges can be found on the site's fixtures page.

The next test is against De Rossi's Genoa, a team currently in 17th place. Roma's last result was a goalless draw away to Como. Gasperini's available squad, featuring top scorer Donyell Malen with 6 goals, can be viewed on the squad page.

This story first appeared at tuttoasroma.it