Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has refused to engage in a war of words with José Mourinho, expressing his immense respect for the Real Madrid manager ahead of their upcoming El Clásico showdown.
The German coach spoke during the pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s clash at Spotify Camp Nou, amidst an atmosphere marked by officiating controversies and back-and-forth statements surrounding both clubs.
Flick said: “My respect for Mourinho is enormous. He has proven his capabilities at every club he has managed, and when you lead teams at this level for so many years and achieve success, it reflects your true quality.”
He added: “I remember meeting him once in Madrid, back when I was Joachim Löw’s assistant with the German national team. We went to visit him because some of our players were there.”
He continued: “What I can say is that all the players who worked under him spoke of him with great respect, and I share that exact same opinion.” He concluded: “He is a colleague who has achieved enormous success, and a great manager whom I respect deeply.”
For his part, Mourinho also praised his counterpart’s work, despite giving a concise answer when asked about him in his own press conference, stating: “He is a great manager, doing an excellent job, and that’s all.”
The visit recalled by Flick dates back to Mourinho’s first tenure with Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, when Mesut Özil and Sami Khedira were part of both the club and the German national team. That period featured highly tense encounters between the Portuguese coach and Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.
As for their previous managerial head-to-head, Flick and Mourinho faced off in the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League season, when the German led Bayern Munich to a 3-1 victory over Mourinho’s Tottenham, thanks to goals from Kingsley Coman, Thomas Müller, and Philippe Coutinho.
Both managers enter their first El Clásico against each other in contrasting competitive positions; Barcelona holds a six-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga, while Mourinho—who returned to coach Los Blancos this summer—seeks to halt his rival’s momentum and narrow the gap at the top of the standings.
