The return of José Mourinho to the Real Madrid bench has obviously not gone unnoticed by FC Barcelona. While the Portuguese technician returned to Casa Blanca this summer, the Catalan leaders quickly took the lead with Hansi Flick, who is having a perfect start to the season. According to information from the Catalan daily SportBarça wanted to warn its coach of the risks linked to the traditional media wars with the Special One and avoid a new media conflict between the two Spanish institutions.
To make Flick understand the situation, the Catalan club would have reminded him in particular of Mourinho’s first stint at Real Madrid and the numerous controversies which accompanied this period. The Blaugrana leaders spoke of the tensions with Pep Guardiola, but also the “famous” incident with Tito Vilanova, where the Portuguese put a finger in the eye of the ex-Barça manager, now deceased. Even if the Mourinho of 2026 appears calmer for the moment, Barça does not want to take any risks and fears that a simple declaration could be the origin of a new media battle.
A clear instruction for Hansi Flick
The instructions sent to Hansi Flick would therefore have been particularly clear: “not a word about Mourinho or Real Madrid”can we read in Sport. A recommendation which perfectly matches the character of the German technician, unaccustomed to fueling controversies at press conferences. Flick had also perfectly illustrated this before the first day of La Liga against Elche when he was questioned about the Portuguese’s return: “we play tomorrow against Real Madrid? No ? So ask me about Elche”
A course of action that Flick should continue to respect as much as possible in the coming weeks. The situation will inevitably be different in the run-up to the Clasicos, when questions surrounding Mourinho and Real Madrid become inevitable. But internally, Barça and its coach are clear and wish to avoid any statement likely to be used by the Portuguese to start a controversy. The return of the Special One therefore remains closely scrutinized in the ranks of FC Barcelona.
