Mourinho, Simeone and Flick set for tense La Liga summit after Madrid derby

At a time when the fallout from the Madrid derby has yet to subside, Jose Mourinho, Diego Simeone and Hansi Flick will meet at the Spanish Football Federation’s Ciudad del Futbol complex in Las Rozas during the international break.

The annual meeting of the Technical Committee of Coaches is scheduled to take place next Tuesday, just 48 hours after the latest exchange between Mourinho and Atletico de Madrid. The gathering could provide another flashpoint in La Liga, with the Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid and Barcelona managers all due to attend.

According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, invitations have been sent to all 42 managers from the top two divisions of Spanish football. However, the focus will inevitably fall on the three leading figures: Flick, who is in charge of Barcelona, Real Madrid manager Mourinho and Atletico boss Simeone.

The meeting will be chaired by Fran Soto, president of the Technical Committee of Coaches. The president of the Referees’ Committee will also be present, while Rafael Louzan, president of the Spanish Football Federation, is expected to welcome the managers personally.

Mourinho and Simeone renew their rivalry

The most anticipated encounter is likely to be between Mourinho and Simeone. The meeting comes only 48 hours after the events of last Sunday’s fiercely contested Madrid derby and Atletico de Madrid’s angry response on Monday to images displayed by Mourinho during his news conference.

The timing raises the question of whether the Las Rozas gathering will help ease tensions or lead to another verbal confrontation between two of the most controversial managers in world football.

Beyond the rivalry between Mourinho and Simeone, the meeting will address a number of issues affecting coaches across La Liga. The presence of the president of the Referees’ Committee will give managers the opportunity to raise concerns about refereeing decisions and discuss points of frustration.

All clubs received a visit from a referee before the start of the season, when the latest changes to the laws of the game were explained. The meeting will therefore also give coaches the chance to discuss how those changes are being applied and any concerns that have emerged during the campaign.

Another long-standing issue on the agenda will be the difficulties managers face in receiving their salaries and other payments after being dismissed during the season.

Rafael Louzan has promised to address that matter seriously, making it one of the central topics for discussion alongside refereeing and the continuing tension surrounding the Madrid derby.