Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has refused to speak to the press ahead of tonight’s huge “El Clasico” showdown with Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
Madrid must beat their fierce rivals to have any hope of winning the La Liga title this season, with this the first of four huge matches between the two teams over the next three weeks.
But at the pre-match press conference the normally outspoken Mourinho sat silent as his assistant Aitor Karanka took questions from the media at the club’s training ground.
Karanka explained: “Every time he speaks, everything he says gets magnified, he does not want his words to be magnified.”
The Madrid number two then went on to dismiss suggestions that the Portuguese’s actions had been disrespectful.
Karanka added: “What the fans want is for Real Madrid to be where it is today, they want a coach who works hard every day, who demonstrates that he is 100% with the club, independent of whether or not he speaks.”