Mourinho: "A litmus test tomorrow? No, Real Madrid wins titles with me"

José Mourinho addressed the media on the eve of his first Clásico as Real Madrid manager. The team travels to Camp Nou after thrashing Leipzig at the Bernabéu and riding a strong run of results, but the Portuguese coach does not believe recent form has changed anyone's mind about the favorites. For him, this match is not a turning point in the club's project.

• Mourinho removes pressure from the Clásico: "It is not a litmus test, Real Madrid wins titles with me."
• The coach confirms his starting XI for Camp Nou is already decided.
• He played down Barcelona's defeat in Paris and the recent praise for the Catalan side.
• On the referee: "I always start from the idea that the referee is good."
• He reveals he is not superstitious despite keeping his beard during the winning streak.

What Mourinho says about Real Madrid's form before the Clásico

The Portuguese coach acknowledged his team is in a good moment, scoring goals and getting positive results, but stressed that his experience in Clásicos and derbies tells him previous matches mean little. "Good dynamic. We arrive well, we score goals... In the Clásicos and derbies I have played, what happened before does not make much sense," he said.

Mourinho was also asked whether his work deserves more credit. He insisted he only seeks recognition for his players when they perform well and accepts criticism when the team does not. It is, he explained, the life of any coach: sometimes the players win the matches and sometimes the managers lose them.

"Not a litmus test": Mourinho's message on what is at stake

Asked directly whether the Camp Nou meeting will show the team's true level, Mourinho was emphatic. He denied it is a decisive exam and pointed to his record since taking charge: "It is not. Real Madrid wins titles with Mourinho."

It is not. Real Madrid wins titles with Mourinho.

The manager did admit the global significance of the fixture. He noted there are at least two Clásicos every season and no other match compares: the whole world stops to watch them.

Mourinho's view on the referee and the refereeing controversy

Asked about the referee appointment, Mourinho said the name does not concern him. He always starts from the assumption that the official is good and only gets annoyed when rules are broken. According to internal information he has received, that has not happened in this case.

What he thinks about Barcelona, Lamine Yamal and his Real Madrid spell

Barcelona's defeat in Paris did not change his preparation. Mourinho said his mood would be exactly the same for this match even if Real Madrid had lost instead of beating Leipzig. On the praise for Barcelona and the criticism of his own team, he was clear: those who a week ago thought Barça could thrash them still think the same, and that does not affect him.

The Portuguese coach argued there are games in which Barcelona deserve praise for their football, but he considers it unfair to compare the two projects. While the Catalan side has been building for years, his squad has barely had a month and a half of real work once preseason and the international break are discounted. "Far from being a finished product, it is an early product," he explained, adding that he is still in a phase of getting to know his players and vice versa.

Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's tactical approach

On Lamine Yamal, Mourinho described him as a great footballer, just like every member of the Barcelona squad and his own. However, he made clear that respecting an opponent of that level does not mean changing the plan or abandoning the team's identity. Real Madrid will not do that against Yamal or any other elite rival.

The lineup is decided and a confession about Mourinho's beard

The manager confirmed he has already chosen his starting XI but refused to give any clues. Laughing, he responded to the journalist who tried to get the team out of him: "You are smart, but I am not stupid."

There was also room for a personal anecdote. He has been growing a beard for about a month and the team has won every match in that period, but Mourinho dismissed any superstition and joked about his appearance: "Do I look horrible with the beard? Do I have to change it?"

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