Real Madrid: José Mourinho takes a sharp swipe at Barça

José Mourinho revisited his disputes with refereeing and directly addressed the Negreira case

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Real Madrid: José Mourinho takes a sharp swipe at Barça

Back at Real Madrid, José Mourinho once again took aim at Spanish refereeing, linking his memories of Barça to the Negreira case.

José Mourinho has lost none of his outspokenness. Back on the bench at Real Madrid this summer, the Portuguese coach once again attacked Spanish refereeing after the recent derby defeat to Atlético de Madrid.

In an interview with Corriere dello Sport, Mourinho said he did not consider himself to be the problem. “To be honest, I don’t believe I’m the problem. I think the problem is bad luck… and arriving at certain moments at certain clubs.”

“I arrived at Real Madrid during the worst Negreira years”

The Portuguese then directly referred to the Negreira case, named after the former Spanish refereeing official at the centre of the investigation into payments made by FC Barcelona between 2001 and 2018.

“I arrived at Real Madrid during the worst Negreira years. I remember that no one knew anything about it, but we felt it and lived through it. As soon as I left, everyone knew.”

Mourinho also drew a parallel with his time in Turkey.

“Then in Turkey, the big scandal… and once again, everyone found out after I left Fenerbahçe.”

🚨 José Mourinho: “I arrived at Real Madrid during the PRIME Negreira years”. “I remember no one knew about it, but we felt and lived it. As soon as I left, everyone knew”. “Then in Turkey, the big scandal… and again everyone knew after I left Fenerbahçe”. https://t.co/8D0KVY90tV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 8, 2026

27 matches against Barça, a slightly negative record

Over the course of his managerial career, Mourinho has faced FC Barcelona 27 times in all competitions, with Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. His record stands at 8 wins, 9 draws and 10 defeats.

These encounters particularly defined his first spell at Real between 2010 and 2013, when the Clasicos against Pep Guardiola’s and then Tito Vilanova’s Barça were often especially tense. The Portuguese coach notably won the 2011 Copa del Rey against the Catalans, before winning La Liga the following season.

More than a decade after those duels, Mourinho therefore continues to link that period to his current criticism of refereeing, as his return to the Madrid bench is already rekindling a historic rivalry.