José Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, has spoken about tomorrow's clash with Barcelona in the 10th round of the Spanish league.
Mourinho said, at the match's press conference: "We are going through a good period, we are playing well and scoring goals, but what we did before counts for nothing in the Clásico, and it will have no impact. It's a completely different match."
On lessons from Barcelona's 4-0 defeat to Paris, he added: "I don't think losing one match will change the team's psychological state or its level of self-confidence. Likewise, it wouldn't have changed my own situation either if we had lost to Leipzig 4-1."
Would he set a special plan to stop Lamine Yamal? Mourinho replied: "All of Barcelona's players are good, and the same applies to Real Madrid. He is a great player, and great players must be respected. But there is a difference between respecting an opponent and changing plans, tactical structures and abandoning your identity. We won't do that, neither against him nor against any other player who has this exceptional quality."
Asked by a journalist for his opinion on Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, the "Special One" responded: "I don't understand questions related to opponents. He is a great manager and he does excellent work. What do you want me to say?"
Asked about Barcelona drawing lavish praise while his own team copped excessive criticism, Mourinho hit back: "If people believed a week ago that we would suffer a crushing defeat, they will keep believing that. People speaking well of Barcelona does not affect me, it is none of my concern."
Barcelona deserve credit when they produce outstanding performances, he conceded, but he insisted Real Madrid remain at the start of their project. "We are seen as a complete team, and that is extremely difficult in football, but we have not yet reached that stage. We have only worked for three months, and during pre-season players were joining every week, then came the international break."
"We are still in the early stages, where the coach gets to know the players, analyses their performance and sets out the lines of work, while the players get to know his ideas," he continued. "Therefore, I do not see it as fair to compare a team at this stage with another that has been cohesive for years."
Then came the beard he grew a few days ago, and whether it brings him luck. Mourinho mocked the idea: "It is not superstition at all. Do I look bad with the beard? Should I change it?" He is, he said, one of the few in football who do not believe in superstitions.
On his plan for the Clásico and his starting line-up, the Portuguese gave nothing away. "I will not answer that question, you had better ask a different one. I will not talk about plans or players or the line-up."
A question about his side's defensive frailties and whether he might go more attacking drew another dose of sarcasm. "You are clever, but I am not stupid!" he told the journalist.
Asked whether the Clásico represented the real test of Real Madrid's ability to win silverware this season, Mourinho was decisive. "No, Real Madrid with Mourinho claims titles," he said.
The Real Madrid boss addressed the reports that José Luis Munuera Montero had been handed the Clásico, amid claims linking him to the controversy over payments to the son of José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice-president of Spain's referees' technical committee.
Mourinho admitted he was surprised by the speculation over the referee's identity, but stressed his objection had nothing to do with the man himself. "The name of the referee never bothers me," he explained. "I start from the principle that the referee is good, but what bothers me is the breaking of the rules."
Confusion still surrounds the matter, he added, going on the information he had received. Different names had been floated over the past weeks, yet nobody inside the club had confirmed any refusal to accept a particular appointment.
Fermín López had suggested the constant talk about referees was becoming exhausting. Quizzed on the Barcelona player's remark, Mourinho offered a short reply laced with a clear hint: "What can I say? There are other matters that exhaust us too, and they are still happening."
On whether playing at the Camp Nou gave him an extra dose of enthusiasm, Mourinho played down the venue, insisting it was no different from any other ground.
"It is as if we are playing at any other stadium," he said. "We are talking about a team that possesses great quality, but nothing more than that."