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On Thursday, the two strongest Spanish teams will face each other in a crucial battle called "El Clasico," which will be the first of the two Spanish Super Cup matches. The reigning "La Liga" champion Real Madrid and the Spanish Cup holder Barcelona will clash at 23:30 Lithuanian time at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona.
Prior to the match, the coaches of both teams shared their thoughts on the importance of the upcoming game. While this match is crucial for the fans of both teams, the strategists are trying to see it as just another game.
The coach of the Royal Club, Jose Mourinho, told the Spanish sports newspaper "Marca" before the match that this cup is not an important title of the season. "The Super Cup will not affect the course of the league championship, so if I could choose, I would rather lose this tournament but win La Liga. If a defeat in the Super Cup would motivate us to play better in the league, then I would definitely lose this tournament. However, I think it won't have a big impact. It is the least important tournament of the four we will participate in this year," said the 49-year-old Portuguese.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova, for whom this will be the first "El Clasico" as head coach, had a similar opinion. "If we lose this match, the world won't collapse. I can't think of each game as the most important thing in the world - otherwise I wouldn't be able to do my job, I wouldn't enjoy it. At this stage of the season, no team is better or worse before the game," said the Catalan.
Asked how last year's Barca differs from this year's, J. Mourinho said that despite the change of coach, it's the same team. "Almost the same players are in the team, they have their playing style. Of course, it will change a bit, as there are no two identical people or coaches. However, for me, it's the same old Barcelona," said J. Mourinho.
Portuguese does not think that in recent years the Catalan club has been the strongest in Europe, as it did not win two consecutive UEFA Champions League titles. "No one has managed to do that. Maybe I'm wrong, but you can't talk about invincibility when the team couldn't win this trophy twice in a row," said J. Mourinho.
T.Vilanova, on the other hand, pointed out that the victories of the last four years speak for themselves: "In football history, only a few teams have won as much as Barcelona. Over the past four years, this team has won 14 out of 19 possible titles. Moreover, it's not always necessary for a team to win something to be remembered for a long time," the 42-year-old coach told the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo."
