Real Madrid honorary president Alfredo di Stefano believes Jose Mourinho’s side is inferior to arch rivals Barcelona and lacks personality.
In a stunning admission ahead of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey final at the Mestalla in Valencia – the second of four meetings between the La Liga powerhouses over a 14-day period – Di Stefano revealed he considered Barcelona a far better side than the Real one under the guidance of Mourinho.
The legendary Argentine’s comments centered largely around the Portuguese boss’ approach in Sunday’s La Liga meeting between the two clubs at the Bernabeu, which finished 1-1.
Mourinho opted for a defensive line-up against the reigning league champions, playing central defender Pepe as a holding midfielder in a bid to limit the effectiveness of Barca’s star-studded midfield.
The ploy worked to a degree, with Real scoring an 82nd-minute equaliser despite playing much of the second half with ten men after Raul Albiol’s red card.
While experts have claimed the result has given Real confidence ahead of the Copa del Rey final and the two legs of the Champions League semi-final tie, the tactics clearly did not sit well with Di Stefano.
“The football Barcelona played at the Bernabeu was simply brilliant. Their superiority was clear,” the 84-year-old told Sport.es.
“Madrid played against a Barcelona side who dominated throughout the whole game. It’s clear Barca are superior to Madrid, who are a team with no personality.”
“Their approach was clearly wrong.”
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