Mourinho warned of El Clasico’s consequences as Real Madrid’s past resurfaces

Before the latest El Clasico has even begun, Jose Mourinho has been reminded of the difficult path followed by several Real Madrid managers after losing to Barcelona.

Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo, which is closely associated with Barcelona, has highlighted a series of defeats that became turning points in the careers of managers at the Santiago Bernabeu. The report adds to the pressure on Mourinho before the rivals meet, with Barcelona able to move nine points clear of Real Madrid if they win.

Mourinho is not under immediate threat of dismissal and has the public backing of the Real Madrid board. However, Mundo Deportivo says Didier Deschamps has been mentioned in some circles as a possible replacement if the Portuguese manager’s situation deteriorates.

Alonso and Lopetegui suffered decisive setbacks

The newspaper pointed to the recent experience of Xabi Alonso, whose Real Madrid side lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona last season. The club ended his tenure only a few days later, making him the latest manager to depart after a defeat by their Catalan rivals.

It also recalled Julen Lopetegui’s brief spell in charge in 2018. Real Madrid’s 5-1 loss to Barcelona formed part of a wider run of poor results that hastened the end of his time at the club.

Lopetegui had replaced Zinedine Zidane after leaving the Spain national team in a dispute before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Defeats by Atletico Madrid, Alaves and Levante had already weakened his position. The El Clasico loss added to the pressure, and he was dismissed in October that year.

Benitez paid the price while Schuster left first

Rafa Benitez is another manager included in the newspaper’s review. Real Madrid were beaten 4-0 by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2015 under Benitez, who remained in his post immediately afterwards. As results continued to decline, however, the club dismissed him in January 2016.

Bernd Schuster left Real Madrid before facing Barcelona after saying his team would not be able to win at Camp Nou. Juande Ramos took over, but lost to Barcelona before suffering a historic 6-2 defeat in Madrid.

Mundo Deportivo also referred to Carlo Ancelotti’s second spell at Real Madrid, saying that defeat by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final was among the factors that influenced his decision to accept the Brazil national team job.

The examples do not mean Mourinho’s future will follow the same pattern, and a single El Clasico defeat does not automatically determine a manager’s fate. But the fixture could create a fresh source of pressure, particularly if the result damages Real Madrid’s position in the title race.

For Mourinho, the match is therefore about more than securing three points. It is also a test of whether he can avoid joining the list of Real Madrid managers whose futures were badly affected by defeat against Barcelona.