Roma’s Champions League meeting with Real Madrid will carry a private history for Mario Hermoso, the Spanish defender returning to face the club where his senior first-team introduction came under José Mourinho.
For Hermoso, raised in Real Madrid’s academy and later an Atlético Madrid player from 2019 to 2024, the night at the Olimpico has the feeling of a derby as well as a European tie. Mourinho’s involvement gives it another layer: it was the Portuguese coach who handed the then 17-year-old his first appearance for Madrid’s senior side.
From academy call-up to a European reunion
- Hermoso made his Real Madrid first-team bow in 2012 in the Trofeo Bernabéu, having been part of Fernando Morientes’ Juvenil B squad.
- Mourinho introduced him for Raúl Albiol in the 74th minute of Madrid’s 8-0 victory over Millonarios, still the largest winning margin in the tournament’s history. The occasion was expected to serve as a tribute to Alfredo Di Stéfano.
- After the match, Mourinho joked that Hermoso and fellow youngster Derik would be “the most famous boys at school” the following day.
- Hermoso later recalled being told about the call-up while he was at school, describing the wait for the match as the difficult part. He said a Bernabéu debut had been a childhood ambition after eight years at the club, and that the reality of it felt almost unbelievable.
- He did not go on to feature for Real Madrid in an official senior fixture, but remained grateful for the education he received there. Hermoso has said the club shaped him personally and professionally, teaching life values while surrounding young players with elite football figures.
Gasperini’s gladiator in Rome
Roma signed Hermoso on a free transfer in 2024 after his Atlético contract expired. A loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen occupied the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, but he has since become a key figure in Gian Piero Gasperini’s 1-3-4-2-1 system.
Gasperini has described the defender as a player with determination and high-level technique, despite what he called a difficult previous season. The Roma coach said his side possesses a “defence of gladiators”, among Europe’s strongest.
The numbers support Hermoso’s importance. His 89th-minute goal began Roma’s turnaround in a 2-1 win over Atalanta. In Serie A, he has recovered possession 34 times, the second-highest total among defenders, while his 17 interceptions rank third.
Hermoso has said the manager’s message is to train hard, trust themselves and retain the ambition to compete on equal terms with every opponent. Roma, he added, are developing and want to show they can take another significant step, with the aim of keeping the club in the Champions League for years to come.
Roma consider longer commitment
His performances have prompted Roma to explore a new contract. Hermoso’s existing agreement was automatically extended to 2027 at the end of last season, but the club are considering a further deal running until 2029.
Such an offer would depart from Roma’s usual approach of extending players aged over 30 on a year-by-year basis. Hermoso, now 31, could therefore be rewarded with a longer-term role just as a Champions League night brings him back into Real Madrid’s orbit.
