Thirteen years after helping turn soccer's biggest rivalry into must-see chaos, Real Madrid coach José Mourinho returns to face Barcelona in El Clásico with something to prove. In his debut news conference as returning Madrid coach in August, he said he doesn't look back: "I'm not one for regrets."
During his first spell at the Bernabéu from 2010 to 2013, Mourinho faced Barcelona 17 times across La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Supercopa and the Champions League. His record read five wins, six draws and six defeats. Across that period, both clubs produced 100-point seasons, and Lionel Messi scored a record 50 goals in La Liga in 2011-12. It was not enough to beat Mourinho's Madrid to the title. The period was, in many ways, peak Clásico: Pep Guardiola vs. José Mourinho, Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo, often nasty but always riveting.
Guardiola is gone, but Mourinho is back, chosen by president Florentino Pérez to get Madrid on track after two trophyless seasons and to tame a dressing room that defeated predecessors Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa. The situation resembles 2010, when Mourinho first arrived after winning the Champions League with Inter Milan, and Barcelona were already well established under Guardiola.
Mourinho's first Clásico, in November 2010, was a chastening 5-0 defeat at Camp Nou, the largest margin of victory in a Clásico since 1995. Mourinho himself called it "historically bad." He will be desperate to avoid a repeat on Sunday, when he has the chance to prove he was always the right man for the job.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing