Mourinho changes media plans ahead of Real Madrid derby with Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has delayed his pre-match media appearance until several hours after Saturday’s training session, prompting questions about his plans ahead of Sunday’s Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid will train at 10:30 BST on Saturday at Valdebebas, while Mourinho is scheduled to hold his news conference at 15:30 – around five hours after the session ends. The timing is unusual compared with his arrangements before recent matches.

The derby will be played at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 16:15.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the gap between training and Mourinho’s press conference is particularly notable because it coincides with the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup final between Real Madrid and Santiago Wanderers.

The match is due to begin at midday on Saturday at Santiago Bernabeu, raising the possibility that Mourinho’s altered schedule is linked to his growing interest in the club’s youth teams.

Mourinho’s focus on the academy

Since returning to manage Real Madrid, Mourinho has made a point of following the progress of the club’s younger players.

On 5 September, he attended Castilla’s match against Juventud Torremolinos at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, accompanied by several members of his coaching staff. During pre-season, he also gave opportunities to numerous academy players and praised their performances.

Mourinho has previously spoken positively about the Castilla squad, saying: “I like all the players I receive from Castilla.”

His comments underlined his interest in bringing players from the reserve side into the first team.

That approach comes as Thiago Pitarch, one of the club’s leading youth players, is absent from the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup final. He has instead become one of the academy players being considered by Mourinho for the senior squad.

Return of pre-match camps

Mourinho has also revived discussions about bringing the players together before matches, a practice he used regularly during his first spell in charge of Real Madrid, particularly before games at Santiago Bernabeu.

The Portuguese coach previously explained that such arrangements were not necessarily about players spending the night together, but about mental focus and preparation.

“Sleeping or not sleeping depends on the situation,” he said.

During preparations for one match against Malaga, Real Madrid held a tactical meeting and the players ate together before most of them returned to their homes. They then resumed their programme the following day.

The example demonstrated Mourinho’s flexible approach to pre-match arrangements, with the emphasis placed on concentration and preparation rather than a fixed requirement for the squad to stay together overnight.