Mourinho absence delays first meeting with Flick as Simeone calls for caution

Hans-Dieter Flick and Jose Mourinho will have to wait until 25 October for their first meeting as rival coaches after Mourinho missed an annual gathering of Spain’s top-flight and second-tier managers.

Barcelona manager Flick attended Tuesday’s meeting at the Spanish Football Federation’s City of Football in Las Rozas, while Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone was also present. Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, was absent because of what was described as a “scheduling conflict”.

The meeting had been expected to provide the first face-to-face encounter between Flick and Mourinho. Instead, Mourinho’s absence prevented the much-anticipated meeting and prompted further debate, particularly after his recent criticism of refereeing in the Madrid derby.

Simeone responds to Mourinho’s refereeing criticism

Simeone attended the gathering only a few days after Atletico’s victory in the Madrid derby. He distanced himself from Mourinho’s strong criticism of the officials, which followed the Portuguese manager’s formal complaint about referee Ortiz Arias.

Mourinho had submitted a lengthy protest accompanied by images of two controversial incidents from the derby. His actions attracted considerable criticism and led to suggestions that his absence from the meeting had also avoided a possible confrontation.

Simeone responded by urging managers with a high public profile to choose their words carefully.

“We respect everyone’s opinions, but we must remember that Flick, Mourinho, Pellegrini and Simeone have a special standing, with a great deal of media exposure as managers, and we have to be careful about what we say,” he said.

The annual gathering is regarded as an important forum for coaches to raise concerns affecting the profession. In previous years, managers have discussed cases involving colleagues who were not paid by their clubs.

Open discussions with referees are also a regular part of the meeting. Managers are able to put questions to officials, who respond directly, with the aim of improving understanding between the two groups.

First meeting now set for 25 October

Flick and Mourinho’s first genuine meeting as opposing managers is now scheduled for 25 October, when Barcelona host Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the season at Camp Nou.

The match will be the fifth since the league resumed.

The two managers have faced each other only once previously. That meeting came during the 2019-20 season, when Flick’s Bayern Munich defeated Mourinho’s Tottenham 3-1 in the final match of the group stage of the Champions League.