Mourinho responds to Barcelona star: the referee's name doesn't concern me, and there are things that exhaust us too
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho delivered striking comments ahead of the Clásico against Barcelona, touching on his side's title hopes and the controversy over the referee set to officiate the match.
The Portuguese spoke at his press conference on Saturday, on the eve of the eagerly awaited clash with Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the tenth round of the Spanish league.
Mourinho trusts in Real Madrid's ability to claim titles
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, as reported by Spanish newspaper "AS".
Mourinho's objection is not to the referee's name
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.
A brief response to Fermín's comments
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."
Does the Camp Nou give the Clásico extra excitement?
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."
