Di María reveals Mourinho’s brutal tactic to beat Barcelona — and how the Clasico era changed Madrid

Memories of a Turbulent Clasico Era

Argentine Ángel Di María, once Real Madrid's talisman and now with Rosario Central, reveals shocking behind-the-scenes details from Clasico clashes with Barcelona during the Guardiola and Mourinho era—the peak of a rivalry that also touched Spain’s national team.

In an interview with journalist Juan Pablo Farsky, Di María recalls that in the national team Spain's players appeared friendly and superior, but against Barcelona the matches often turned into brutal physical battles.

He adds: Mourinho planted in Madrid players' minds that beating Barcelona required playing hard, committing rough tackles, and outrunning their opponents.

Di María concedes Barcelona's dominance in that era, citing the painful 5-0 defeat as a stark example of the quality gap.

He continues: you can't deny the lesson about possession; there were moments when the ball seemed to vanish as you pressed, a reminder that Barça could make you invisible.

Di María later notes that after that game they understood victory needed a different approach, and that approach sometimes spilled into on-field clashes; he even feared Messi might be injured, as the Mestalla final was filled with relentless exchanges.

The article also includes a linked La Liga match recap showing Deportivo Alavés versus Real Madrid, reflecting the era's intensity.

After that game, Di María explains, the team realized that winning required a different method, and that method often led to physical confrontations on the pitch.

Punchline 1: If strategy could shoot, Mourinho would be a sniper—ball, target, repeat.

Punchline 2: And Barcelona kept the ball so long that even the clock started paying rent.