Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will on Sunday reignite one of football’s fiercest rivalries when he oversees his first Clasico since returning to the club, facing La Liga leaders Barcelona at Camp Nou.
A major part of the Portuguese veteran’s first tenure in Madrid centered on his effort to end Barca’s dominance under Pep Guardiola, as relations between the Spanish giants deteriorated to their lowest point.
Mourinho ended Barca’s run by leading Real Madrid to the Spanish title in 2012, the high point of his 2010-13 tenure.
During that period, Clasicos grew ever more intense, though some would argue not for positive reasons, as Mourinho and his staff clashed with their Barcelona counterparts on the touchline and in the media.
The 63-year-old served as an assistant at Barca under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal during the 1990s, but Guardiola was chosen over him in 2008 when the Catalans replaced Frank Rijkaard.
Mourinho’s repeated confrontations with Guardiola, Lionel Messi, and even Madrid legends such as Iker Casillas at times eclipsed his achievements on the field.
The most notorious incident came in August 2011, when Mourinho poked Tito Vilanova, then Barca’s assistant coach, in the eye.
Earlier that year, at the end of the previous season, Madrid and Barca met four times in only 18 days, highlighting the rivalry’s intensity.
The opening match was a 1-1 La Liga draw that helped Barcelona move closer to retaining the Spanish title while Madrid remained behind them.
In the second meeting, Mourinho’s Madrid defeated Barca to lift the Copa del Rey, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the decisive goal in extra-time.
The Catalans then prevailed over Los Blancos in a two-legged Champions League semi-final, winning the opening match 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu after Madrid defender Pepe was sent off. Mourinho described it as a “scandal.”
Barcelona secured a 1-1 draw in the second leg to advance to the final, which they subsequently won.
During this spell, Guardiola said he could not, and would not, compete with the “boss” Mourinho in the press room.
Mourinho has adopted a similar approach immediately during his second stint at Madrid.
After losing the derby, the coach presented print-outs of incidents to support his claim that Atletico Madrid should have received two red cards, and he declined to attend a press conference after Vinicius Junior was dismissed against Villarreal.
Many think Mourinho uses these methods to divert attention and ease the pressure on his team when it is underperforming.
A Clasico victory could persuade him to concentrate on football, while stopping Hansi Flick’s side—back-to-back Spanish champions is among the key reasons President Florentino Perez rehired him.
Since the German’s arrival, Flick’s Barca have won six of seven Clasicos against Real Madrid, scoring 22 goals and conceding only 11.
Mourinho maintains that it is impossible for his team to reach his desired level after such a brief period in charge.
“I’ve been here for over a hundred days. Obviously, we are not where I want, but there are things we are doing better today than before,” said the coach.
Madrid have won their last four games across La Liga and the Champions League, and after rotating minutes early in the season, certain preferences are beginning to emerge.
Although Mourinho initially said he did not view midfielder Federico Valverde as a right-back, the position in which he had previously been used, he has started the Uruguayan there in the last two matches, ahead of Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“We created a lot on that side, and Fede had a fantastic match,” Mourinho said after the victory over Leipzig.
With Valverde moving into midfield, Mourinho played Arda Guler against Sevilla on Sunday and then Bernardo Silva against the German side, as Madrid became more effective on the ball and maintained greater possession.
However, the Clasico presents a different challenge. Mourinho, who used defender Pepe in midfield against Barca, could return to his usual approach in an attempt to disrupt the hosts’ fluid football.
