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Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, said it would be unfair to compare his team with Barcelona ahead of the upcoming El Clásico on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The Portuguese manager, who took charge of Madrid in the summer, explained that Real Madrid is still in the early stages of building a team, whereas Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, has already established a mature playing foundation. Barcelona have won two consecutive La Liga titles and sit at the top of the league table, unbeaten in the current season. In contrast, Real Madrid finished the previous two seasons without a major trophy and are now third in the standings, six points behind Barcelona. Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season against Paris Saint‑Germain on Tuesday, while Madrid have won their last four matches. Mourinho told reporters on Saturday that he expected people who had previously believed Barcelona would dominate the match to maintain that view. “They will not change their minds just because of the Paris match or Madrid’s 4‑1 win over Leipzig,” he said. He added that Real Madrid cannot yet be judged as a fully formed side, noting that he has only been in charge for a few months, whereas Flick began his tenure in 2024. “The people see us as if we are a finished product, but in football, a truly finished team is hard to find because the process never really ends,” Mourinho said. He explained that Madrid have only been together for about three months, including pre‑season and the period after the World Cup, and that the core squad has only been together for one and a half to two months. “This is just the beginning. We are still in the early phase, learning the coach’s ideas and slowly shaping the style of play.” He stressed that comparing a team still in its formative stage with a more established side is unfair. Mourinho also said that recent results would not heavily influence the outcome of the El Clásico. “What you did before is not important in this match,” he said. “El Clásico is a unique game; the whole football world stops to watch it. I hope it will be a great match and that we win.” Article source: Koran Jakarta | Image credit: Koran Jakarta
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, said it would be unfair to compare his team with Barcelona ahead of the upcoming El Clásico on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The Portuguese manager, who took charge of Madrid in the summer, explained that Real Madrid is still in the early stages of building a team, whereas Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, has already established a mature playing foundation. Barcelona have won two consecutive La Liga titles and sit at the top of the league table, unbeaten in the current season. In contrast, Real Madrid finished the previous two seasons without a major trophy and are now third in the standings, six points behind Barcelona. Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the season against Paris Saint‑Germain on Tuesday, while Madrid have won their last four matches. Mourinho told reporters on Saturday that he expected people who had previously believed Barcelona would dominate the match to maintain that view. “They will not change their minds just because of the Paris match or Madrid’s 4‑1 win over Leipzig,” he said. He added that Real Madrid cannot yet be judged as a fully formed side, noting that he has only been in charge for a few months, whereas Flick began his tenure in 2024. “The people see us as if we are a finished product, but in football, a truly finished team is hard to find because the process never really ends,” Mourinho said. He explained that Madrid have only been together for about three months, including pre‑season and the period after the World Cup, and that the core squad has only been together for one and a half to two months. “This is just the beginning. We are still in the early phase, learning the coach’s ideas and slowly shaping the style of play.” He stressed that comparing a team still in its formative stage with a more established side is unfair. Mourinho also said that recent results would not heavily influence the outcome of the El Clásico. “What you did before is not important in this match,” he said. “El Clásico is a unique game; the whole football world stops to watch it. I hope it will be a great match and that we win.”
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