Jose Mourinho Hits Out: ‘Lukaku To Roma Is A Drama Yet Calhanoglu To Inter Is A Brilliant Signing?’

Jose Mourinho feels that there’s a double standard in the view of Romelu Lukaku joining Roma and Hakan Calhanoglu going to Inter Milan.

Speaking in a press conference, as reported by FCInterNews, the Portuguese coach compared the two transfer sagas.

In the end, Roma were the team who Chelsea-owned striker Lukaku joined during the summer.

But the Giallorossi were not the only team whose path the Belgian crossed.

Lukaku also had a falling-out with Inter. This has become the stuff of infamy, given how good a relationship there had previously seemed to be between the 30-year-old and the Nerazzurri.

Therefore, when Lukaku went to Roma, the focus wasn’t just on the Italian capital.

There was also a lot of talk about how the move related to Inter.

As Mourinho points out, Lukaku is not the only player to make a controversial transfer in Serie A.

He points to Inter midfielder Calhanoglu as an example.

The Turkish international had spent four seasons playing for Inter’s city rivals AC Milan. But then the Nerazzurri snapped him up on a free transfer when his contract with the Rossoneri expired.

It would not exactly be fair to say that there was not controversy around that move.

Milan fans and players made their irritation clear.

But at the same time, it never quite turned into quite the same kind of soap opera as with Lukaku.

Jose Mourinho Hits Out At Lukaku-Calhanoglu Double Standard

As far as whether Lukaku will start at the San Siro, Mourinho confirmed it.

“Lukaku will play, it will be a very difficult and important match,” he said.

“Lukaku is important for us,” the coach continued. “And without Dybala and Pellegrini he becomes even more important.”

“I didn’t think Lukaku was so important in Milan, the titles he won with that team were won by more than two hundred players in the history of Inter.”

Mourinho also argued that “Lukaku’s transfer from Inter to Roma is considered a drama, while Calhanoglu moving from Milan to Inter is seen as a brilliant signing.”

“Cannavaro and Vieri made similar moves but there were no problems,” he went on.