Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has complained about his team’s shorter recovery period ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico against FC Barcelona.
However, historical scheduling figures suggest the Catalans have actually been disadvantaged more often.
According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20261022/1004241777/mourinho-no-dice-agravios-horarios-barca-clasicos-post-champions.html), Barcelona have accumulated fewer rest days than Madrid between their Champions League fixtures and the first league Clasico of the season since 2018.
Following Real Madrid’s Champions League encounter against RB Leipzig, Mourinho highlighted what he considered an unfair scheduling situation.
**“At this moment, we already have 24 hours less rest than Barcelona for El Clasico,”** the Portuguese coach declared.
His observation is technically correct. Barcelona played PSG in Paris on Tuesday, while Madrid faced Leipzig at home on Wednesday, leaving the Catalans with an additional day to recover.
However, the historical numbers paint a different picture.
Across the eight October Clasicos scheduled after midweek Champions League fixtures since 2018-19, Madrid have accumulated 26 rest days compared to Barcelona’s 23.
Barcelona have also faced the particularly demanding Wednesday-to-Saturday turnaround twice, while Madrid have experienced it only once.
This excludes the postponed 2019-20 Clasico, which would originally have required Barcelona to face Madrid on Saturday after playing Slavia Prague away on Wednesday.
Mourinho’s comments are particularly interesting because Sunday’s match is already scheduled for 9 pm, giving both teams the maximum possible recovery time before the next league fixture.
Furthermore, UEFA determined the Champions League schedule in August, meaning Barcelona’s extra day was not a last-minute advantage created specifically for El Clasico.
There is also an important difference in travel demands. Barcelona returned from Paris after Tuesday’s match, while Madrid played their European fixture at home.
None of this means Mourinho is wrong to value recovery time. At the highest level, even 24 hours can make a difference.
However, presenting this week’s scheduling as an excuse and evidence of unfair treatment ignores the fact that history has generally favoured his side.
This is yet another example of Mourinho’s famous antics that everyone is familiar with by now, and Barcelona should not pay much attention to it ahead of an important Clasico.