Mourinho prepares for first Clasico since returning to Real Madrid

Jose Mourinho will take charge of his first El Clasico since returning to Real Madrid on Sunday, with La Liga leaders Barcelona providing the opposition at Camp Nou.

The match renews one of football’s most bitter rivalries. Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid, from 2010 to 2013, was shaped by his attempts to end Barcelona’s dominance under Pep Guardiola.

He succeeded in 2012, leading Real Madrid to the Spanish title in what became the defining achievement of his time at the club.

The rivalry intensified during Mourinho’s reign, both on the pitch and in exchanges between the two coaching teams. Mourinho had previously worked as an assistant at Barcelona under Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal during the 1990s, but was passed over in favour of Guardiola when the Catalan club replaced Frank Rijkaard in 2008.

His confrontations with Guardiola and Lionel Messi, as well as disputes with Real Madrid figures including Iker Casillas, at times overshadowed his achievements on the field.

The most notorious incident came in August 2011, when Mourinho poked Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova in the eye. Earlier that year, the teams had met four times in 18 days, underlining the hostility surrounding the fixture.

Their first meeting in that sequence ended in a 1-1 La Liga draw, a result which helped Barcelona move closer to retaining the title while Real Madrid trailed them. Mourinho’s side then defeated Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winning goal in extra-time.

Barcelona responded in the Uefa Champions League semi-final, winning the first leg 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu after Real Madrid defender Pepe was sent off. Mourinho described the decision and the match as a “scandal”.

A 1-1 draw in the return leg took Barcelona through to the final, which they later won. During that period, Guardiola said he could not and would not compete with Mourinho, whom he called the “boss”, in the press room.

Mourinho has already returned to familiar tactics in his second spell. After losing the derby to Atletico Madrid, he produced printouts of incidents to argue that the opposition should have received two red cards. He also declined to attend a news conference after Vinicius Junior was sent off against Villarreal.

Some believe such behaviour is intended to divert attention from his team when performances are below expectations. A victory over Barcelona would allow Mourinho to concentrate more fully on football, while dealing with Hansi Flick’s side is a central reason president Florentino Perez brought him back.

Flick’s Barcelona have won six of seven Clasicos against Real Madrid since his arrival, scoring 22 goals and conceding 11.

Mourinho says his team still needs time to reach the level he expects.

“I’ve been here for over 100 days. Obviously, we are not where I want, but there are things we are doing better today than before,” he said.

Real Madrid have won their past four matches in La Liga and the Champions League. Federico Valverde, initially not viewed by Mourinho as a right-back, has started there in the past two games 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 win over Leipzig.

Arda Guler replaced Valverde in midfield against Sevilla, while Bernardo Silva played there against the German side, helping Real Madrid improve their possession and work more effectively with the ball.

The Clasico will present a different test, however. Mourinho, who once used defender Pepe in midfield against Barcelona, may again adopt a more defensive approach to disrupt the hosts’ passing football.