Madrid’s derby has arrived with the familiar weight of history, but José Mourinho sought to keep the view from the Real Madrid camp practical: a fierce local occasion, certainly, yet still a league match carrying the same three points as any other.
The news from the club
Speaking before Sunday’s meeting with Atlético Madrid, Mourinho rejected the idea that Real Madrid should measure themselves against another side or be defined solely by questions over style. He accepted that improvements are required, while insisting the squad possess both individual quality and a strong collective spirit.
“Real Madrid’s history means there is no need to compare ourselves with anyone,” Mourinho said. “We can speak openly about what is wrong and what must get better, but it is becoming difficult to hear anything positive about Real Madrid. We know our strengths, and the group’s unity matters enormously to me. A title race is never a clear road without difficulties.”
Vinicius Junior, one of the players most closely associated with recent meetings between the two Madrid clubs, was not singled out as having a uniquely different task. Mourinho said the occasion means more to everybody, perhaps especially those with longer ties to the side, but that the whole squad understands its significance.
Real Madrid are still a relatively new group, he added, having worked together for only a few months and played around seven or eight matches. The staff and players have used available training time to address the periods in games when the team lose focus, although Mourinho did not promise that the issue would be solved immediately.
“That is what we are trying to do,” he said. “Whether we achieve it, I cannot say. We have confidence in ourselves, but also the modesty to recognise that more work is needed.”
A derby, a referee and Sunday’s timetable
The seventh-round LaLiga fixture is scheduled for Sunday at 16:15. Mourinho explained that his own media appearance came later in the day because the morning had been occupied by player meetings and training, after which he hurried to the Bernabéu to watch as much football as possible. He denied gaining any advantage from speaking after Atlético coach Diego Simeone.
On the derby itself, Mourinho described the fixture as an expression of Madrid’s football culture: its past, its supporters’ passion and an atmosphere quickly understood by newcomers. Still, he stressed that the emotional charge cannot alter the basic arithmetic of the championship.
“A derby always carries something extra,” he said. “There is history and culture in it, and fans, coaches and players soon understand what it represents. But it remains a league game, worth three points, and it has to be treated that way.”
Mourinho also revisited the debate around recent penalty decisions, questioning how Elche had completed their previous match with all 11 players still on the field. He noted that the referee for the derby had been known a week in advance, said the appointment indicated an official capable of handling a match of this scale, and maintained that any fuller judgement should come after the final whistle.
