CORNERFLICK
Jose Mourinho heads into another El Clasico with years of history against Barcelona behind him and a fresh motive in front of him.
From Barcelona assistant to rival coach
Mourinho was part of Barcelona's backroom staff from 1996 to 2000, first as Bobby Robson's translator and assistant and later under Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal kept him on after Robson left, and Mourinho's role grew from translator to opponent analyst and assistant coach. During that spell, Barcelona won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey, and Mourinho even took charge in the Catalonia Cup.
How the split hardened
The relationship changed in 2008, when Barcelona chose the inexperienced Pep Guardiola rather than Mourinho after Frank Rijkaard left. Mourinho took that as a slight, and the feeling of being overlooked has shaped much of the rivalry since.
At Chelsea and Inter, the tension only grew. Inter's 2010 Champions League semi-final win at the Nou Camp, when Mourinho celebrated in front of Barcelona's supporters, sent him towards Real Madrid and into the fiercest part of the feud.
Back at the heart of the rivalry
Between 2010 and 2013, Mourinho oversaw 17 Clasicos against Guardiola and then Tito Vilanova, winning five, drawing six and losing six. His overall record against Barcelona stands at eight wins, nine draws and 10 defeats from 27 matches.
Now in his second spell at Real Madrid, Mourinho goes to Barcelona with his side six points behind Hansi Flick's league leaders. He has complained about having 24 fewer hours of rest than Barcelona and says this is not a normal match.