{
  "id": 16311878,
  "title": "Real Madrid still a work in progress, says Mourinho ahead of El Clásico",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/real-madrid-still-a-work-in-progress-says-mourinho-ahead-of-el-clasico",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-24T10:22:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/real-madrid-still-a-work-in-progress-says-mourinho-ahead-of-el-clasico/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid manager José Mourinho views his team as a work in progress ahead of the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona on Sunday. The Portuguese coach emphasized that the players are still adapting to his methods and leadership following a relatively brief period working together. Despite this, Mourinho remains confident in his team's potential to challenge for major trophies, stating unequivocally that \"Madrid with Mourinho wins titles.\"\n\nMourinho clarified that it was unfair to compare his team's development to that of a side that had been together for two or three years. He explained that they had been working for only a month and a half since the start of their current period of integration, excluding preseason and national team commitments. The manager acknowledged that criticism is part of the process, particularly when results are less favorable.\n\nRegarding the significance of recent results, Mourinho stressed that they would have little impact on the El Clásico, as the game is unique and previous outcomes do not carry much weight. He defended Barcelona, stating that their loss to Paris Saint-Germain would not affect the team's confidence going into the match.\n\nMourinho addressed the disparity in attention between Barcelona and Real Madrid, insisting that praise for their opponents would not influence his approach. He expressed that speaking positively about Barcelona was beyond his concern and that he would only credit his players for their performance. The manager also highlighted the global appeal of the fixture, emphasizing that it transcends the identities of the coaches involved and is unique in its significance.",
  "summary": "Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has described his team as a work in progress ahead of Sunday’s El Clásico against Barcelona at Camp Nou. Read More: https://punchng.com/real-madrid-still-a-work-in-progress-says-mourinho-ahead-of-el-clasico/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Real Madrid president Florentino Perez will not travel to Barcelona for El Clasico",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/real-madrid-president-florentino-perez-will-not-travel-to-barcelona",
        "published": "2026-10-22T07:40:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Olive Press",
        "title": "Argentina president Javier Milei brands Sanchez a ‘disgraceful dictator’ during Madrid visit as he rallies Spain’s right ahead of election",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/argentina-president-javier-milei-brands-sanchez-a-disgraceful",
        "published": "2026-10-22T09:18:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "El Clásico: 'They'll punish them' - Rafael van der Vaart predicts Barcelona vs Real Madrid clash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/el-clasico-theyll-punish-them-rafael-van-der-vaart-predicts-barcelona",
        "published": "2026-10-24T08:23:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Unfair to compare us to Barca: Real Madrid's Mourinho",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/unfair-to-compare-us-to-barca-real-madrids-mourinho",
        "published": "2026-10-24T09:03:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Unfair to compare us to Barca, says Real Madrid’s Mourinho",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/unfair-to-compare-us-to-barca-says-real-madrids-mourinho",
        "published": "2026-10-24T09:57:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}