Mourinho ahead of Barcelona Clasico: "Real Madrid with Mourinho wins titles"
Mourinho says the Clasico is not affected by previous results and insists that Real Madrid "wins titles with him" ahead of Sunday's clash with Barcelona.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho confirmed on Saturday, 24 October 2026, that his team goes into the Spanish league Clasico against Barcelona with confidence, stressing that "Real Madrid with Mourinho wins titles," in the press conference that preceded the match scheduled for Sunday evening at Camp Nou.
The Clasico isn't affected by what came before
Mourinho said at the club's training ground that his team is going through a good phase, but he made clear that Clasico matches are different and are not affected by previous results, noting that his team's win over Leipzig or Barcelona's loss to Paris Saint-Germain would not change anything in this encounter.
He argued that the importance of the match is not tied to the identities of the coaches, but to its unique global dimension that makes football fans around the world follow it.
No change in plan because of Yamal
The Portuguese coach confirmed that his team will not change its plans because of young star Lamine Yamal, and refused to reveal the starting lineup or the system, replying to a reporter: "You're smart but I'm not stupid."
A team under construction
Mourinho said Real Madrid is still a "project under development" after barely three months of work, denied that the beard he has recently grown is linked to any superstition, and said regarding refereeing that he starts from the principle that the referee is good.
Match timing
The match will be played as part of the tenth round of the Spanish league on Sunday, 25 October, at Camp Nou, kicking off at 9:00 pm Spain time, i.e. 11:00 pm Baghdad time. It is Mourinho's first Clasico since his return to coaching the royal team, and Vinicius Junior will miss it due to suspension.
Read also: Official decision to suspend Vinicius Junior for 4 matches and bar him from the Clasico
