On Friday morning, José Mourinho held a press conference on the eve of the Clasico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The Merengue coach was questioned on two subjects that could influence the match: the appointment of a referee and the strategy against LamineYamal, one of Barça's offensive threats.
Initially, Mourinho expressed his astonishment at the turbulence surrounding the choice of referee. He recalled that a name had been announced three weeks ago, then that another was now proposed, without receiving official confirmation. "It surprises me a little... The name of the referee never bothers me. I assume that the referee is good. What bothers me is that the rules are not respected and that, according to the information I have internally, we still don't know anything," he said. Mourinho thus highlighted the lack of clarity and confusion surrounding the selection of the referee, without however calling into question his skills.
The second point of discussion was the presence of LamineYamal in the Barça program. Mourinho has claimed that Real Madrid will not change their plans to neutralize the young striker. "They are all good, it's the same as at Real Madrid. He is a great player, and great players deserve respect. But there is a difference between respecting a player and changing his plans, his organization, forgetting his own identity," he said. The message is clear: despite the threat that Yamal represents, Mourinho's team does not intend to change its game strategy to counter him.
These statements come at a time when Spanish football is already under media fire. The controversy surrounding the referee, linked to allegations of coaching by the son of JoséMaríaEnríquezNegreira, has already caused a lot of ink to flow. Mourinho, for his part, wanted to reassure his supporters by showing that he remains focused on the game and not on administrative debates.
The Clasico, scheduled for the next day, will remain one of the most anticipated events on the Spanish calendar. Real Madrid, under the leadership of Mourinho, will have to manage the pressure linked to refereeing while remaining faithful to its game plan. On the Barça side, the presence of Yamal will continue to be a key factor, but the club has not yet announced any particular device to neutralize him. The two teams are therefore preparing for a duel where tactical preparation and management of external issues will be decisive for victory.