Mourinho says rules, not referee’s identity, are at issue before Barcelona clash

Jose Mourinho says his concern before Real Madrid’s Clasico against Barcelona is not the identity of the referee, but whether the rules have been followed.

The Real Madrid manager was speaking at his press conference on Saturday ahead of the La Liga meeting at Camp Nou, with reports suggesting Jose Luis Munuera Montero could take charge of the 10th-round fixture.

Munuera Montero has been linked in reports to the controversy surrounding payments made to the son of Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees.

Mourinho said he had been surprised by the speculation surrounding the referee’s appointment, while stressing that he had no personal objection to Munuera Montero.

“I am not bothered by the referee’s name at all,” Mourinho said, in comments reported by Spanish newspaper AS. “I start from the principle that the referee is good, but what bothers me is breaking the rules.”

The Portuguese said uncertainty still surrounded the issue, based on the information available to him. He added that several names had been discussed in recent weeks, but that he had received no confirmation from within the club that Real Madrid opposed the appointment of a particular referee.

Mourinho was also asked whether the Clasico would provide the definitive test of Real Madrid’s ability to challenge for silverware this season.

He rejected that suggestion and expressed confidence in his side’s prospects, saying: “No, Real Madrid with Mourinho wins titles.”

The manager was then invited to respond to comments from Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez, who had said that the constant discussion surrounding referees had become exhausting.

Mourinho offered a brief reply with an apparent reference to the pressures affecting his own team.

“What can I say? There are other things that also exhaust us, and they are still happening,” he said.

Mourinho also played down the significance of Real Madrid visiting Camp Nou, rejecting the idea that the stadium would provide additional motivation or make the match fundamentally different.

He acknowledged Barcelona’s quality but insisted the venue itself would not alter the nature of the contest.

“It is as if we are playing in any other stadium,” Mourinho said. “We are talking about a team with great quality, but nothing more than that.”