# Mourinho and Madrid primed for clásico

> Mourinho avoids media duties after Real Madrid's 1-0 win to avoid suspension risk for Sunday's clásico.
- Title: Mourinho and Madrid primed for clásico · the Guardian
- Summary: Mourinho avoids media duties after Real Madrid's 1-0 win to avoid suspension risk for Sunday's clásico. José Mourinho skips media duties after Real Madrid's…
- Keywords: jose mourinho, real madrid, barcelona, clásico, la liga, champions league, federico pérez, lamine yamal, thibaut courtois, vinícius junior, sports, Mourinho
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/football/2026/oct/24/la-liga-clasico-barcelona-real-madrid-jose-mourinho
- Published: 2026-10-24T07:00:26+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jose mourinho, real madrid, barcelona, clásico, la liga, champions league, federico pérez, lamine yamal, thibaut courtois, vinícius junior, sports
## Mourinho avoids media duties
José Mourinho avoided media duties after Real Madrid’s 1-0 win against Villarreal because he did not want to risk being banned for Sunday’s clásico against Barcelona.
## Mourinho’s return to Camp Nou
José Mourinho returns to the stadium he first arrived at 30 transformative years ago as Bobby Robson’s talented young translator.
## Mourinho’s clásico history
Mourinho once declared 'today, tomorrow and always, Barcelona in my heart' and claimed he would only ever go to Real Madrid to destroy them.

> today, tomorrow and always, barcelona in my heart
## Madrid’s Champions League record
Madrid won the 10th title after 12 years of waiting, followed by 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th in 10 years without Barcelona.
## Barcelona’s dominance
Barcelona won the league with two weeks to spare, completed a domestic treble and defeated Madrid four times scoring 16 goals.
## Mourinho’s strategy
Mourinho prioritized the clásico over PSG, leaving out Rodri and withdrawing Pedri and Raphinha early to keep them fresh.
## Madrid’s recent form
Madrid scored four goals against Sevilla and four more against Leipzig, with Vinícius Júnior scoring a goal after being sent off.
## Barcelona’s form
Barcelona won 11 matches in a row, averaging more than four goals per game, with Lamine Yamal leading the team.
## Mourinho’s leadership
Mourinho has been with Real Madrid for 105 days, saying he needs to get to know Barcelona before the clásico.
## The clásico stakes
Real Madrid faces a six-point deficit to Barcelona in the league, with the clásico potentially deciding the title.
## Mourinho’s tactics
Mourinho adjusted his team by playing Arda Güler, Yan Diomande and Fede Valverde to strengthen the defense.
## The Negreira case
Barcelona paid €7m to José María Enríquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018, with Madrid claiming corruption.

> €7m
## Key takeaway

José Mourinho skips media duties after Real Madrid's 1-0 win against Villarreal to avoid potential suspension for Sunday's clásico against Barcelona.