Former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has revealed how José Mourinho prepared his team for El Clásico battles against Barcelona, with much of the focus placed on stopping Lionel Messi.
Khedira, who played under Mourinho at Real Madrid, described the preparations for matches against Barcelona as unusual but effective, recalling how the Portuguese coach devoted significant time to finding ways to limit Messi’s influence.
According to Khedira, Mourinho would spend only a few minutes discussing Barcelona as a team before dedicating much of the tactical meeting to Messi.
“We spoke two minutes about their team and then 45 minutes about Lionel Messi,” Khedira recalled, explaining that Mourinho wanted his players to understand every detail of the Argentine forward’s movement and threat.
The former midfielder said Mourinho was willing to make changes to his lineup and tactical structure depending on how he planned to deal with Messi.
Khedira revealed that Mourinho sometimes used Pepe in a defensive midfield role, while on other occasions Sergio Ramos was deployed in the position. The main objective was to create a system capable of limiting Messi’s space and influence.
“The most important thing was how to stop Messi,” Khedira said.
Messi was at the height of his powers during Mourinho’s time at Real Madrid, with the Argentine playing a key role in Barcelona’s dominance in Spain and Europe.
The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona produced some intense encounters during that period, with Mourinho’s side constantly searching for ways to contain Barcelona’s attacking threat.
Mourinho’s tactical battles with Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola became one of the defining features of the era. The matches attracted worldwide attention and featured some of the biggest stars in football.
