Jose Mourinho responds to question on Barcelona Negreira case ahead of Real Madrid reunion

The pre-match press conference in the Portuguese capital offered visiting Spanish journalists a rare opportunity to quiz their former adversary on current affairs in La Liga. Inevitably, the conversation turned to the ongoing "Negreira case," the scandal involving payments made by Barcelona to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees in Spain. Given that some of these payments allegedly occurred during Mourinho's tenure at the Santiago Bernabeu between 2010 and 2013, reporters were keen to gauge the 63-year-old's reaction.

However, the "Special One" was quick to shut down the line of questioning. refusing to add fuel to the fire. He made it clear that his focus remains entirely on his current duties with Benfica rather than historical controversies involving his old rivals.

"It’s something that doesn’t interest me. Honestly, it doesn’t interest me," the Benfica boss stated firmly. "I live my career in the present, not in the past. What happened has happened, and that’s it."

While he was reticent to discuss refereeing scandals, the two-time Champions League winner was far more open when discussing his former players. The reunion with Los Blancos brought back memories of his stormy yet successful spell in Madrid, and he singled out Alvaro Arbeloa for special praise. The former full-back, who was a staunch loyalist during the manager's divisive final season in Spain, was described in glowing terms, not just as a footballer, but as a human being.

"They are special former players," he said of Madrid's new head coach. "With Alvaro, from a personal empathy point of view, he is one of my favourite players of all time. He was obviously not the best player who played for me at Real Madrid, but he is surely one of the best men who ever played for me. And he is the last person I would want to put under pressure."

He also touched upon the future of Xabi Alonso, another lieutenant from his Madrid days, following his sacking by the Spanish giants. Despite the upset, the Benfica manager predicted a bright future for his fellow coach. Describing him as another of his "boys," he noted that "his career will take another path, because he has shown the level of coach he can become."

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The immediate priority for the Portuguese giants is keeping their European dreams alive. Benfica require a victory on home soil and must rely on results elsewhere to stay in the competition, whereas Madrid are on course to secure a place in the top-eight in the final game of the League phase. It is a daunting task against the Spanish giants, and when asked about the specific threat posed by Kylian Mbappe and the glittering array of talent at Arbeloa's disposal, the veteran coach warned against focusing on individuals.

"They are players with great characteristics, Real Madrid has these players in every position," Mourinho said. "But Real Madrid is not just one player. It has to be a perfect game offensively and defensively. We have to be a compact team. Let's hope things turn out for the best."

He continued, emphasising the professionalism required to pull off a shock result: "On a personal level, I am a very objective person, I always try to have this professionalism at all times. The basis of having a good performance is taking care of ourselves, training well and having that discipline to give our maximum in every game."

Mourinho is under no illusions regarding the scale of the challenge awaiting his side at the Estadio da Luz. He acknowledged the ruthless efficiency of his former club, noting that their squad depth allows them to hurt opponents at any moment.

"They have top players, players of such a high level that if you don’t take your chances, Madrid punish you," he warned his squad. "They wait for your mistake and they punish you."

With Benfica’s Champions League status hanging by a thread, the manager stressed that his team must "try everything to win, knowing who is on the other side." For Mourinho, facing Madrid is never just another game, but he is determined to ensure the headlines are written about his team's performance in the present, rather than the scandals of the past.