Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has reopened one of the most fascinating chapters of his Real Madrid career, revealing how Iker Casillas’ phone call to Xavi Hernández created friction between him and the legendary Real Madrid goalkeeper.
“You can kiss all the Barcelona players with Spain, but not today. 𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐑”
Mourinho returned to Real Madrid in 2026 after the club parted ways with Álvaro Arbeloa. His return has brought back memories of his first spell at the club between 2010 and 2013, when he faced Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona side in one of the fiercest periods in El Clásico history.
While Mourinho saw Barcelona as an opponent that Real Madrid had to overcome, Casillas found himself in a much more complicated position.
Casillas was not only Real Madrid’s captain but also the captain of Spain’s national team, which featured players from both sides of the rivalry.
During that period, Spain won three major international trophies: the 2008 UEFA European Championship, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 UEFA European Championship.
The tension between Mourinho and Casillas became particularly difficult after the 2011 Supercopa de España, when Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5–4 on aggregate to win the trophy. Lionel Messi scored three goals across the two legs, including a late winner at Camp Nou.
The second leg ended in a heated touchline scuffle involving players and coaching staff from both sides, including Mourinho and Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova. Casillas and Barcelona captain Xavi Hernández were also involved in the confrontation.
Rather than allowing the tension to continue into the Spain camp, Casillas decided to reach out.
According to reports at the time, Casillas phoned Xavi and Carles Puyol in an attempt to calm the situation before the players reunited with the national team. Xavi later confirmed that he had spoken with Casillas and that they had resolved their differences.
Mourinho has now recalled the situation and explained the mindset he had during those Clásicos. He believed Real Madrid could not beat Barcelona by trying to play their game. Instead, his team had to approach the rivalry differently, both on and off the pitch.
“From the first moment I understood one thing: 𝐖𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍’𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐁𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄. To beat them we had to be different, on and off the pitch”
That mentality made Casillas’ decision particularly uncomfortable for Mourinho. The Portuguese manager viewed the Real Madrid captain’s contact with Barcelona players as a betrayal of the dressing room, while Casillas maintained that he was trying to prevent the bitterness of the Clásicos from affecting Spain’s national team.
“Seeing those Clásicos so intense… 𝐈 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍’𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓. I even talked about it with Mourinho, but he accused me of having 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃 the team” 😳‼️
“It was always a 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐓 situation to manage. I was the captain of the Blancos, but also of Spain” 🇪🇸
Casillas later denied having a serious problem with Mourinho. After the controversy surrounding his conversations with Xavi and Puyol, he insisted that he still had a good relationship with the Real Madrid manager despite their disagreements.
More than a decade later, Mourinho is once again sharing his perspective on the episode. Now back at Real Madrid, his return could add another layer to the rivalry with Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, especially with Real Madrid having gone two seasons without winning LaLiga.
