Mourinho Refuses to Change Real Madrid Tactics for Yamal

José Mourinho has made it clear that Real Madrid will not abandon their tactical principles to deal specifically with Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal ahead of the latest El Clásico. The Portuguese coach insisted that while the young forward deserves respect, his presence will not force Madrid to change their identity.

Speaking before the La Liga clash, Mourinho praised Yamal’s quality but stressed that preparing for a top opponent does not mean completely reshaping a team’s approach. He explained that respecting an individual player is one thing, while changing the team’s structure and forgetting its own strengths is another.

Barcelona head into the 10th round of the league at the top of the table with 27 points from nine matches. Real Madrid sit third with 21 points, making the meeting particularly important for the home side as they look to close the gap on their rivals.

Mourinho also emphasised that Madrid would not make such changes for Yamal or any other high-quality opponent. His comments suggest that Real intend to rely on their established system rather than build their entire game plan around neutralising Barcelona’s young attacking star.